Harry Potter 7
by Voldemort309
Summary: Starts of at the end of HBP. AU. First fanfic. Read and review!
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One: The New Mission**

The dark night sky seemed to show the fact that something horrible had happened. Yet, it could never truly tell the atrocities laid forth on that sinister night. Two figures tore along the forgotten roads that lead to the deepest fears of most mortals. No words were exchanged, for there were no words that could explain what had just occurred. The most callous act of betrayal was nothing compared to what Professor Snape had just done.

Draco Malfoy felt Severus Snape's hand tighten around his arm as the two rounded another shadowy corner. There was no time to pause. Draco made a motion to speak, but Snape quickly silenced him with a single glance. The Unbreakable Vow had been forged and completed. The impossible had been accomplished and nothing would ever be the same again. Albus Dumbledore was dead.

Draco felt his body shudder. The Dark Lord would not be pleased with the course of action he had failed to take. His mouth grew dry as he recalled the last words Dumbledore had spoken to him. Even in his gravest hour, he had offered him solace and protection.

"This way," Snape hissed as he started towards another direction.

Draco glared at him; "Where are we going?"

Snape didn't answer. The further they traveled the more winding the road became. This was a place Draco had never seen before. Was Snape taking them into hiding? Didn't he realize that nobody could hide from the Dark Lord?

"I'm not going any further until you answer me," Draco said sternly as he snatched his arm out of Snape's grasp.

"I'm taking you to your mother," Snape said in a low murmur.

Draco narrowed his eyes. "Why?"

"Foolish boy!" Snape lashed out. "Do you realize what has just happened?"

"Yeah," Draco retorted. "You did the job I was meant to do. You disobeyed a direct order from our Master."

Snape's cold dark eyes locked on to Draco's false face of confidence.

"Murder isn't as simple as it seems, is it?"

"I would have killed him, if you--" Draco started.

"You failed! If I hadn't killed Dumbledore you would be dead. He doesn't accept failure," Snape spat viciously. "He may still…"

Draco fell silent as the fear that was in his eyes spread across his face. "So, why are we going?"

He couldn't finish; his mouth was too dry.

Snape turned back towards the trail. "There isn't much time."

The dark figure of Snape had almost disappeared from sight before Draco found his footing and trudged behind. The trail finally started to narrow and a small cottage appeared in the darkness. As the two approached the door flew open. A woman dressed in a long hooded cloak ran towards them.

"Is it over then? Did you?" she pleaded desperately.

"No," Draco said in barely more than a whisper, "Professor Snape did, because of your Unbreakable Vow, Mother."

Narcissa threw her head upwards and a look of agony stretched across her face. She stood motionless for a moment before lowering her head to face Snape.

"He's safe and what had to be done is done," Snape said quietly.

Narcissa closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. "Thank-you, Severus."

Draco stared at his mother with a look of disgust. This was her doing. She had been consumed by her motherly intuition. She had not realized death haunted them whether he succeeded or failed.

"The Dark Lord will not be pleased," Snape began.

"He will understand though. Dumbledore is dead, it doesn't matter who killed him," Narcissa argued. Desperation crept into her voice as her hands shook lightly.

Snape frowned, "You must leave and go into hiding. Draco will be punished for his failure. He is expendable."

"I'll accept my punishment. I will not run," Draco spat as his mother let out a pointed sob.

"Don't be a fool," Snape replied. "There are things worse than death."

"Oh please, Draco, listen to me. Severus is right we have to hide. The Dark Lord will take you away from me. I've already lost Lucius."

Draco yanked his hand from his mother's grip. "It isn't my fault. I had Dumbledore right there. I'm the one who figured out how to get the Death Eaters into the castle. I'm the one who disarmed Dumbledore. I was about to do it, but you had to push me out of the way. This is your fault, not mine."

"I suppose you always lower your wand before you cast a spell then?" Snape retorted.

Draco didn't answer.

"We can go to France, we have relatives we can hide with," Narcissa said suddenly as she claps her trembling hands together.

Snape swallowed hard. "The Dark Lord will expect that. Did Lucius have any place where he could hide in case something like this happened?"

Narcissa shook her head, "No, he was the Dark Lord's servant until the end. He would never run."

"And neither will I," Draco said in a short voice.

Narcissa knelt down and grabbed her son's hand again. "Please, don't leave me. He'll kill you, Draco. Then, he'll kill me."

"You had nothing to do with it," Draco snapped as he stared at his pleading mother.

Snape narrowed his eyes. "She had everything to do with it. She is a traitor; she disobeyed the Dark Lord's orders. She convinced me to do the task if you could not."

Narcissa glared up at Snape, "I had no choice. He is only a child. There was no way he was going to succeed. The Dark Lord knew that it was a fool's errand."

"Do you honestly think it matters? The reasons?" Snape asked.

Narcissa suddenly released her son's hand and her own head fell.

Draco took a deep exaggerated breath.

"I have a place where you can stay," Snape suddenly said. "It isn't in England and it's among-- you won't be able to use any magic at all."

"No magic?" Draco said resentfully. "Are we suppose to live as Muggles then?"

Snape nodded as he attempted to help Narcissa to her feet.

"I'd rather face the Dark Lord's wrath than live as a Muggle," Draco snarled.

Snape's lip twisted. "I can arrange that, but I sincerely doubt you mean it. If you had let me help you during the year it would have never come to this."

Draco made a motion to move towards Snape but his mother held a firm hand against his shoulder.

"No, Draco. Severus is just trying to help us," Narcissa pleaded.

The dark sky gave a great rumble as the clouds began to build. Snape took a narrow breath as he pulled a small scrap of parchment out of his robe.

"You haven't much time," Snape said slowly as he pushed the parchment into Narcissa's hand.

"How do we know he won't tell the Dark Lord where to find us?" Draco asked in an accusing voice.

Snape raised his eyebrows in annoyance. "Use your head! Don't you think if that had been my intentions I would have taken you directly to the Dark Lord?"

Narcissa left no time for the quarrel to continue. She quickly kissed Severus' cheek and whispered a soft 'thank-you.'

Draco didn't let his eyes leave Snape's face. Narcissa quickly grabbed Draco's arm, and without another parting look, Disapparated both herself and her son.

The loud crack rang in Snape's ear. The anger that was raging inside of him for the past several hours had not lessened, and he knew that the Dark Lord would not be pleased with his course of action. He could only pray that Dumbledore's murder would be enough to appease his master.

He could run. However, running would mean all he had sacrificed and done would be in vain. No, running away was not the solution. The Dark Lord would hunt him down and strike him dead. Draco was right about one thing: there was no way to hide from the Dark Lord.

Snape took one last fleeting look at the cottage. It could very well be the last sight his eyes every viewed. If he lived, he would still be punished. He could feel the pain searing through his veins even now.

"Is this what you wanted, Albus?" Snape said suddenly. "I'm exiled and Potter will not rest until your murder is avenged."

The wind howled loudly as if it were answering Severus' plea. A distant rumble of thunder seemed to break the barriers of time. He knew his lingering would soon come to a close and he would face fate. As if chance's humor had run thin, a sharp pain burned through his sleeve. He slowly pulled the cuff of his robe and revealed the charred flesh that burned black into his skin.

He didn't hesitate. His eyes closed and his mind left behind all traces of the past few moments. Suddenly, the cottage was gone and a dank low-lit room replaced his view.  
A figured cloaked in black whose eyes glowed with insanity approached.

"My sister?"

Bellatrix's voice was barely above a mumble, but Snape didn't need to hear her words to know the question she was asking.

"Now is not the time," Snape said briskly as his eyes scanned the walls of his master's abode.

Bellatrix grimaced. "I'm just asking. Are they?"

"Yes," Snape said quickly, signaling an end to the conversation.

Bellatrix nodded as her eyes cut towards a room at the far end of the corridor. "He's not pleased. I knew the Vow was a cursed scheme. If he knows I performed it…"

Snape glanced at Bellatrix and made a motion to walk towards the room.

"It's true? Dumbledore is dead?" Bellatrix pushed.

"Yes," Snape replied. He physically tried to keep his voice from catching in his throat but Bellatrix didn't seem to notice.

"And Draco? He didn't?" Bellatrix asked, already knowing the answer to the question.

Snape nodded, "I did it for him. It had to be done and my time at Hogwarts had expired. I seriously doubt the Board of Governors will allow the school to reopen."

Bellatrix nodded. "Word travels quickly."

The conversation had reached its end. Snape didn't pause as he approached the room where he knew his master was waiting. As first he couldn't see much in the dim light, but an inhuman sound caused his eyes to wander into a corner where a single throne-like chair rested. A long coiled creature lay at the base.

"Ah, Severus… I've been expecting you."

Snape swallowed hard and lowered himself into a bow. "My Lord."

"You deliberately disobeyed my orders," Voldemort began.

Snape felt his eyes betray him as he watched the demon-like man curl his fingers around his chair.

"I ordered Draco to dispose of Dumbledore. Your position had great strategic importance."

Snape drew in a deep breath, "My Lord, I apologize. I feared the boy could not complete the task."

"And where is young master Malfoy?" Voldemort taunted, almost reading Snape's mind.

Snape held back a smirk as a blank page replaced the truth. "He has disappeared. Potter attempted to stop us from escaping after the task was done. I pushed him ahead and ordered him to Disapparate once past the barrier. I assumed he would go to his mother's, but I did not find him, My Lord."

"But, Albus Dumbledore is dead," Voldemort asked.

Snape nodded, "He is."

"You have disappointed me; something caused you to act against me. Tell me, what was it?" Voldemort said in a sharp voice.

"Narcissa—she came to me and asked me to help Draco with his task. I was tricked into an Unbreakable Vow. I thought the boy would be able to complete the job, but I had to be prepared in case he wasn't," Snape replied, lowering his bow as his heart-beat increased.

"You displease me, Severus," Voldemort replied. "However, the task that was assigned is done so there will be no punishment at this time."

"Thank-you, you are most gracious," Snape said, not daring to rise from his bow.

"Do not mistake my mercy for weakness. Next time I will not be so patient," Voldemort hissed.

Snape nodded, slowly lifting his head. He knew he was not safe yet. The Dark Lord was known to change his mind even after a verdict had been handed down.

"There is one more thing," Voldemort said in a sadistic tone. "Bring Draco and Narcissa Malfoy to me as soon as they are found. To help lure them out of hiding—make sure Lucius Malfoy meets an untimely demise. I think we have sources inside Azkaban that can carry that out."

Snape said instantly, "It will be done."

"I know it will," Voldemort said without hesitation. "I do not appreciate failure."

Snape nodded respectfully one last time before making a swift but appropriate exit. His face twisted with disgust, as he dared not look back at the room he had just left. A lesser wizard would have had his mind turned to mush and his deepest secrets revealed. However, Snape was not an ill-trained wizard by any stretch of the imagination.

"You're still alive," Bellatrix said as she suddenly reappeared in front of Snape.

Snape smirked, "Disappointed, Bella?"

"Deeply," she said as her eyes narrowed. "You have orders? What are they?"

"They do not concern you," Snape said coldly.

"If they concern my family, they concern me," Bellatrix pushed as she stepped in front of Snape and blocked his way.

Snape closed his eyes, praying the regret would not surface. "What does family mean to you? You have made your allegiance perfectly clear."

"Does that mean yours are not?"

"You dare question me?" Snape roared.

Bellatrix scowled, "You do not frighten me and you do not fool me. I know what you're all about, Snape."

"Do you now?" Snape continued. "Then you are much wiser than I give you credit for. I do not know where your sister or nephew are. If they are wise, you'll never know either."


	2. The Last Visit

**Chapter Two: The Last Visit**

The whistle blew and rattled the glass panes of the Hogwarts Express as it pulled into King's Cross Station with an abrupt stop that caused the passengers to lunge forward.

"Harry, are you ready?"

Hermione Granger looked, with a worried face, at Harry Potter. Harry had not moved since boarding the train. He had simply stared out the window with a look of devout determination etched across his face.

"Harry?" Hermione asked again.

Harry blinked, "Yeah."

"You don't think your aunt and uncle will go spare do you?" Ron asked with a worried expression as he glanced at Hermione.

Harry grinned. "Probably, but what choice do they have? I'm only staying there one night."

"Well, we better go," Hermione declared as she picked up her book bag from the floor. "I doubt this is going to get any easier."

"Bloody hell," Ron swore, "I forgot to tell my parents what we were doing."

Hermione frowned. "You what?"

"I forgot to tell mum and dad," Ron repeated. "I guess in the craziness of Dumbledore's funeral it slipped my mind. Where's Ginny? Why isn't she in here anyways?"

Harry didn't answer. He knew perfectly well why Ginny was not in the train compartment with them.

"Well, I wrote to my parents as soon as we promised Harry we'd go with him to the Dursleys," Hermione said in a serious tone.

Harry swallowed. "You two don't have to come. I can face them alone. After all, it's only for one night."

"No way, mate," Ron said looking appalled.

Hermione nodded. "Ron's right, Harry. You shouldn't be alone right now. It's not safe."

"Three wands are better then one," Ron added. "Plus, you aren't of age yet. You can't use magic outside of Hogwarts. Though I doubt the Ministry would say anything if you did."

Harry grimaced but didn't reply. Ron poked his head into the corridor as he scanned it.

"Oy, you there—have you see Ginny?"

Harry felt his chest constrict. Ginny was probably in a compartment nuzzled up with Dean Thomas telling him how big of a prat Harry was.

"Yeah, I just saw her get off the train," a voice Harry didn't recognize called back.

Ron frowned as he turned back to Harry and Hermione. Finally he shrugged and started to push his way out into hallways. Hermione gave Harry an encouraging smile as she followed Ron's lead. The train was rather empty for the end of the year voyage. Parents had collected most students right after the funeral.

"I suppose I'll just tell them when we get off the train. What are they going to say? I'm of age now," Ron said mostly to himself as he stepped off.

Hermione rolled her eyes at Ron's comment and Harry couldn't help but grin. He seriously doubted Mrs. Weasley would take such an understanding attitude about Ron's decision. It didn't take long to spot the family of redheads standing near the entrance to Platform Nine and Three Quarters.

"Hello, how are all of you? Hermione, I haven't seen your parents. Did they know that you were coming home early?" Mrs. Weasley asked as she tipped up on her toes to scan the crowd.

Hermione smiled nervously. "Yes, well—I'm going back to the Dursleys' with Harry."

"Oh no, Harry—you don't have to return to your aunt and uncle's house. You're more than welcome to come straight home with us," Mrs. Weasley insisted.

Harry heaved a sigh. "No, I promised Dumbledore I'd go back one last time. He wanted me to go back."

"And we're going with him," Ron piped in.

Harry thought he saw Ginny look up, but he might have been mistaken because the next moment she looked like she wasn't even paying any attention to the conversation taking place. Next to her, Charlie Weasley made a teasing gesture causing Ginny to laugh slightly, and Harry convinced himself that he had just imagined the concerned look on her face a moment before.

"Don't be silly," Mrs. Weasley said sternly, "I'm not about to let the three of you go off on your own. It isn't safe and you aren't—well, it's just a foolish idea."

Ron's face reddened a bit. "We're not letting Harry go alone."

"Harry, why don't you let Tonks or Arthur accompany you to collect your things. Then they can bring you back to The Burrow."

"Mum," Ron said in protest. "We're of age. We're not kids."

Molly Weasley placed her hands firmly on her hips. "Well, you're still to young. I'm not going to sit back and watch the three of you just run off because you think can take care of yourselves. It's too dangerous out there."

Ron suddenly drew himself up to full height. "I'm going with Harry and Hermione."

"Ron, it's okay--" Harry started.

"Hermione and I of are of age and Harry doesn't have a choice. We aren't going to let him face those horrid people alone again," Ron snapped.

Hermione seemed to have sunk down behind Harry hoping not to be pulled into this conversation. Suddenly Ron grabbed his trunk and pushed his way through Platform Nine and Three Quarters into Muggle London.

Molly stood there thunderstruck as Ron disappeared from sight. Ginny however was now paying full attention to the events unfolding. Her eyes locked onto Harry as her lips drew thin.

"It's only for one night," Hermione said suddenly to Mrs. Weasley before Harry grabbed her arm and pulled her along behind Ron.

The moment the two emerged from the barrier Ron appeared.

"Can you believe her?" Ron ranted. "She acts like I'm still ten years old."

"She's just worried," Hermione said softly. "It's risky right now to do anything. It  
swhat everybody is going to think now that Dumbledore is gone."

Harry frowned as he pushed his trunk towards a stairwell that would lead up to the exit.

"Harry, wait up!" Ron yelled.

Hermione followed quickly. "Where are your aunt and uncle?"

Harry glanced back at them. "I didn't tell them I was arriving today."

"What?" Ron said in sudden disbelief.

Harry shrugged. "Well, I figured if you two were serious about coming with me to Privet Drive then it was safer if we just showed up versus having my aunt or uncle retrieve us."

"So, are we taking a train or taxi?" Hermione asked.

"Of course not," Ron said annoyed. "You have your Apparation license."

Harry shook his head. "It's too risky to use magic. We don't know who might be watching. I think we should take a, err…a taxi."

Hermione pointed. "Over there, at Platform One."

Ron glanced over Hermione's head towards the direction she was pointing. Harry watched Ron as it became apparent Ron had never ridden in a taxi before in his life. Harry had seen them before, but he had never actually taken a taxi. Uncle Vernon had always driven.

"Harry… how are we going to pay for a taxi? They cost money don't they?" Ron asked.

Realization suddenly hit Harry. He only had a pocketful of wizard money and he seriously doubted that the taxi driver would accept Galleons or Sickles. Hermione seemed to gather that Harry had not planned this far ahead and simply rolled her eyes.

"I have some Muggle money, but taxis are really expensive," she supplied. "Maybe we should take the train to Epsom and then take a taxi from there."

The two nodded as they followed her to the ticket counter where she purchased three tickets for the train to Epsom. The train ride went by quickly as the three sat silently watching the scenery pass the window.

"So, what's up with Ginny anyway? Why wasn't she with us on the train ride home?" Ron asked as he stared at Harry. "You two aren't fighting are you?"

"Ron," Hermione nipped.

"I'm just asking. She's my sister I have a right to know," Ron argued.

Harry frowned. "We're not seeing each other anymore."

Ron looked confused for a second then asked, "Why not?"

Harry took a deep breath before replying, "Because it's not safe. Voldemort used her against me once just because she was your sister. Imagine what he would do if he knew…"

Ron winced as Harry said the Dark Lord's name causing Hermione to let out an annoyed huff. Ron seemed to think about what Harry had said for a moment then nodded.

"Well, probably for the best then."

"Honestly, you two really don't use your heads sometimes. Ginny isn't in any less danger because you broke up with her, Harry. You two were seeing each other the entire last part of the year. Malfoy and Snape both knew that."

Harry felt some blood drain out of his face, but he didn't respond. Neither did Ron.  
The train stopped at the Epsom station and the three disembarked with their things. The station wasn't nearly as crowded as King's Cross, but the large trunks did attract some unwanted attention. Suddenly Hermione stopped and let out a soft noise. She then turned to face Harry and Ron.

"All this stuff won't fit," she whispered pointing to their trunks.

"Huh?" Ron asked slightly dumbfounded. "What do you mean it won't fit?"

"She means Muggle taxis don't have Expanding Spells placed on their boots," Harry answered.

Hermione bit her lip before finally sighing. "Make sure nobody is watching."

Ron looked at her like she was mad but Harry had a good idea what she was going to do. She slowly pulled out her wand and without uttering a word the trunks shrunk to the size of a purse.

"You're really getting good with wordless magic," Ron said with an impressed expression.

Harry had to admit that Hermione's wand skills were remarkable, but he couldn't help but be reminded of his last encounter with Snape. It had been with wordless magic that Snape had countered all of Harry's spells.

"We need to go to Little Whinging in Surrey," Hermione told the driver as the three loaded the closest taxi.

When they arrived at Little Whinging Harry insisted the driver stop near Magnolia Crescent. He didn't think Aunt Petunia would appreciate it if the neighbors saw all three of them getting out of the taxi in front of her house.

"It looks different from the ground," Ron commented with a nod as the three walked up the alley where Harry and Dudley had encountered the Dementors.

Harry smiled lightly as he gave Ron an appraising look. Finally he pointed to a spot in the alley. "That is where the Dementors attacked me. Come on, this way."

Privet Drive was not a sight for sore eyes. It had never felt like home to Harry Potter. It had always just been someplace he had to go. Finally they were there, standing in front of the house that looked identical to all the houses around it.

"Should we knock?" Hermione asked looking worried.

Harry glanced at the lot of them. Knocking would probably be a good idea but they would lose the element of surprise. It was now or never. He grabbed the doorknob and twisted it open. The living room was empty and looked just as it had the last time Harry had seen it. Except, last time Harry had seen it Dumbledore had been alive.

Harry suddenly realized the weight of the locket in his pocket again and closed his eyes. "Let's get this over with."

"It's really clean," Hermione commented, as she seemed to search for something positive to say.

"Ron, you know which room is mine. You and Hermione go on up. I don't plan on socializing with the Dursleys. It will be less of an issue if they don't know you guys are here."

"What are you going to do?" Ron asked.

Harry sighed, "Let them know I'm back I suppose."

Ron made a motion to protest but Hermione grabbed his arm and started towards the stairs. Suddenly she stopped and her eyes grew wide.

"Is that the cupboard?"

Harry turned around to see his little cupboard where he had spend so much of his youth and frowned. "Yeah."

Hermione gasped, "Those horrid people."

Harry turned towards the kitchen as he heard something stirring behind the door, and then he locked eyes with Ron and mouthed the word 'go.'

Ron pulled Hermione up the staircase and barely made it out of sight before Aunt Petunia opened the door and shrieked.

Harry grimaced at his aunt's dramatics but did not move.

"You! What are you doing back so early?"

Harry shrugged. "School's closed. Our headmaster was murdered."

"Murdered?" Petunia whimpered.

"Yeah, murdered—by our Potions professor," Harry continued finding a strange enjoyment out of upsetting his aunt.

Petunia Dursley sucked in a sharp breath. "So, you're back for the entire summer?"

Harry smiled. "No, just one night. I promised Dumbledore I'd return one more time. You remember him don't you?"

Petunia glanced around the room. "Whom were you talking to? I heard voices."

"Honestly, Aunt Petunia, hearing voices isn't a good sign," Harry cheeked.

Petunia scowled. "Get out of my sight. You've been nothing but a burden on me since that freak left you on our door."

Harry didn't waste time as he raced up the stairs and down the hallway he would soon forget. Ron and Hermione, with troubled expressions etched on their faces, were sitting on his bed.

"Ron's already charmed the room. Nobody should be able to hear us talking," Hermione said quickly as she saw a thought cross Harry's face.

"They won't come in here; they never do," Harry said as he took a seat at the chair near his desk.

Just as the words left Harry's mouth a car door shut outside the house, signaling that Vernon was home from work.

Ron was studying the Quidditch poster on his wall then looked out the window and nodded. "The view's not bad."

"Now that the bars are gone?" Harry joked.

"I can't believe Dumbledore kept making you come back to this terrible place," Hermione said with a thoughtful look on her face as she pulled her knees into her chest.

Harry lowered his eyes in thought before he said, "This was the safest place. As long as I returned once a year I had a special protection. It was part of my mother's sacrifice."

"It all makes sense now," Hermione said in a low voice mostly to herself, as if suddenly hit with realization. "Why didn't I realize that Dumbledore would use that type of magic to keep you safe? It's genius."

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE'S BACK?"

Harry's, Ron's and Hermione's heads popped and turned towards the door as Vernon Dursley's voice roared through the walls. Hermione bit her lip then nervously turned back towards Harry.

"Harry, the protection you're talking about—it must work both ways. Obviously your mother's family would have been a target after Voldemort killed your parents," Hermione began fretfully as she watched the door as if she expected it to rip open. "They've got to go into hiding. Once you leave the protection will be broken. That isonce you leave for the last time and no longer call this place home."

"I've never called this place home," Harry corrected.

"Yes, you have," Hermione argued. "This is the place you came once a year. Hogwarts wasn't really home to you. What other place did you have?"

Harry screwed his face. "There is no way I'll ever be able to convince the Dursleys to leave. They hate magic, and everything about it!"

"I WILL NOT HAVE THAT FREAK IN MY HOUSE! I'VE ALLOWED THIS FOR TOO LONG!"

Ron glanced towards the door again. Suddenly there were the sounds of somebody coming up the stairs.

"Vernon, listen to me. You know what his kind are capable of. He's just here for the night."

"How many times have we opened our doors to him? After what that, that—Bumbleroar did to humiliate us last year, I'll be damned if I let him back in this house!" Vernon roared.

Hermione glanced at Harry's face, which suddenly looked a bit red.

"Ignore them," Hermione whispered.

"It's just one night," Harry muttered to himself as he suddenly crawled down to the floor and stretched out.

A loud knock sounded on the door and Hermione gasped and grabbed Ron's arm.

"Don't say anything," Harry said quickly before going to the door and cracking it open.

"You," Vernon spat. "You have the nerve to come back into my home after what you and that old fool did to my family last year. I remember what he said; you're of age now."

Harry refrained from lashing out and calmly replied, "I'm not of age until the end of July. However, I don't plan on staying that long I promise you."

"Vernon," Petunia said from just out of Harry's line of sight.

"Petunia, I know he's your nephew but we've dealt with this rubbish for long enough," Vernon said firmly.

Vernon turned back to Harry and pointed a stubby finger into his face. "Don't you get rude with me. I want you out of here right now. You've done nothing but cause your aunt and me embarrassment since you were burdened on our doorstep. I've remained silent for nearly sixteen years because I didn't want to cause your aunt any more grief, but this time you've gone too far. Just thought you'd show up, did you?"

"Yeah, something like that," Harry said with a smirk.

"I won't tolerate it. I remember what that old crackpot said last year. You have a house, why in bloody hell did you come back to haunt ours for?"

Harry heard Ron shift and decided that he had entertained Uncle Vernon for long enough. "I'm only here for the night. I can either stay peacefully in my room without any problems or I can knock the two of you out with a simple spell and have free rein of the house. Your choice really."

Vernon's face flushed purple as Petunia let out a soft whimper. Harry attempted to shut the door, but Vernon Dursley placed his hand firmly on the door to prevent its closure.

"I'm not finished!"

"Well I am," Harry retorted.

"Vernon, please," Petunia pleaded as Harry brandished his wand.

Vernon glowered. "One night if you aren't gone by the time I wake in the morning that wand won't do you any good."

Harry started to reply angrily, but instead he simply shut the door and flung his wand onto his desk. Hermione had a bitter expression on her face and Ron simply looked dumbfounded. Hermione let out a small 'tsk' and leaned back against the wall. Harry realized that this was the first time she had actually encountered the Dursleys and the Dursleys could leave a foul taste in anybody's mouth.

"I guess this means we've got to get up early?" Ron asked as Harry bent down and began to rummage through his recently expanded trunk.

Harry nodded, "I want to get an early start anyway."

"Are we going to The Burrow then?" Ron asked.

Harry shook his head; "No, not yet. We're going to Godric's Hollow."

Morning came quickly. Harry awoke as an unwelcome burst of sunlight stung his eyelids. He stifled a yawn and stretched his stiff back. The makeshift bed he had created on the floor looked as uncomfortable as it had slept.

"Ron?" Harry mumbled as he looked around the floor for his best mate.

The second bed of robe blankets and a textbook pillow was vacant and Harry felt his heartbeat quicken. Harry felt his belly grumble and a thought crossed his mind. Surely Ron hadn't been thick enough to wander downstairs? Harry sprang to his feet and in less than two steps he was pulling the door open. He glanced back into his room just before stepping out into the hallway when he spied his missing friend. There was Ron with Hermione in an upright position. It looked as if the two had fallen asleep while talking, most likely about him.

Harry closed the door he had wrenched open and moved towards the bed. Hermione's head was placed in an uncomfortable-looking position on Ron's shoulder. Harry rubbed his eyes then nudged Ron.

"It's too early," Ron grumbled without even opening his eyes.

As Ron stirred, Hermione jerked up with a start and looked uncertainly at Harry. He merely grinned and grabbed a clean shirt out of his trunk.

"We need to get going. Uncle Vernon will be up soon," Harry said flatly as he paused for a second before taking off his shirt.

Hermione lowered her eyes as Ron pulled himself off Harry's bed and rummaged through his own trunk. He stifled a yawn and looked pointedly at Hermione.

"Cover your eyes, will you?"

Hermione blushed as she quickly lowered her face. "Honestly."

Ron nodded and followed Harry's lead and pulling a clean shirt over his head. Hermione's face turned redder as she began to look through her own highly-organized trunk. She made a motion to pull something out then sighed and closed her trunk instead. She suddenly grabbed her wand off Harry's bed and gave it a quick wave to shrink their trunks.

"Do we even know how to find Godric's Hollow?" Ron asked.

Hermione cleared her throat. "I did some research before we left. I hope that's all right, Harry."

Harry smiled briefly while he had a general idea where Godric's Hollow might be; he had to admit he had assumed Hermione had already looked up the information. Hermione was not smiling.

"I couldn't find any information about any wizarding communities named Godric's Hollow," Hermione finally stated.

Harry's smile slipped slightly as he noticed something that he had simply missed until that moment. There was a box sitting discreetly on the corner of his desk. The box didn't have any distinguishing characteristics. The brown tape on the edges had faded yellow and had begun to peel.

"Harry, what is that?" Ron asked as he watched Harry with curiosity.

Harry reached his desk and slid the box towards him and began to open the tattered top. Inside were assortments of small items. There was a stack of letters and a few old textbooks. Harry pulled out the books and letters and set them on his desk.

"That Charms book hasn't been used in nearly a decade at Hogwarts," Hermione commented.

Harry didn't answer as he continued to shift through the items. At the bottom of the box was an old wand that looked like it had been neglected for many years. A thought entered Harry's mind. Could this wand have been his mother's? Were these her things?

Hermione, with a pointed look, began flipping through the charms book then sighed. "Well obviously they stopped using it. Some of these charms are outdated."

"Who are the letters from, mate?" Ron asked.

Harry shrugged. "I dunno. I've never seen this stuff before."

He pulled off the top letter and opened it.

_Dear Petunia,_

It's amazing here. I'm so thankful Harry, James and I have found safety at long last. I know things between us haven't been on the best of terms since mum passed but know that you will always be my sister. Nothing is going to change that. I look forward to the day where we can sit around like old times and have a chat about anything and nothing at all. I've enclosed another slip of paper with this letter. If anything should happen and you need to reach me this is where we are located. Please memorize the address and then destroy it. You have my trust now and always.

Your Sister,

Lily

There was a scrap piece of paper taped to the bottom of parchment. Harry recognized the handwriting. He doubted he would ever forget that handwriting as long as he lived. This was the writing of Peter Pettigrew, his parent's Secret Keeper.  
_  
#10 Dor Drive  
Godric's Hollow, West Sussex_


	3. Cloaks and Hats

**Chapter Three: Cloaks and Hats**

Harry felt the air leave his lungs as the grip of reality engulfed him. Fate had shown him its odd sense of humor in the past, and he seriously doubted that would change. He had never traveled to West Sussex, and he had no idea of how he planned on finding Godric's Hollow. The uncertain expression on Hermione's face did little to ease the tightening sensation growing in his stomach. He wasn't sure what bothered him more: the fact he might not find Godric's Hollow or the thought of what he might find if he did.

"I'm going to sneak downstairs and use the telephone to call a cab," Harry said as he stretched. Ron and Hermione simply gave him a nod as they finished combing through the strange box he had found on his desk.

The telephone was downstairs on the sofa table. Luck was on his side. Harry quietly pulled the drawer with the telephone book open. As quietly as he could he dialed the number.

_"Hello, cab service."_

"Yes, can you send a driver to number four Privet Drive in Little Whinging," Harry whispered.

_"Number four Privet Drive?"_ the operator repeated.

"Yes," Harry affirmed.

_"What destination will you be traveling to, sir?"_

"Epsom Station," Harry said quickly as he glanced up the stairs to make certain nobody was coming.

_"Right, your cab should arrive in about half an hour."_

As carefully as possible Harry placed the phone back on the receiver and tiptoed into the kitchen. At that moment Harry would have given anything to have one of the Hogwarts house-elves there to offer him some breakfast. He hadn't eaten anything since the train-ride and then he had only managed to eat two Chocolate Frogs. He imagined Ron and Hermione were also getting pretty hungry.

Harry began foraging around the kitchen for something he could sneak when a flat voice startled him.

"There are some pastries in the pantry."

Harry spun around so quickly he almost fell over. Aunt Petunia was staring at him with her legs crossed in her powder puff pink bathrobe.

"Vernon will be waking up soon so I suggest you be on your way," she continued while glaring at Harry with a cold gaze.

Harry gave a curt nod before opening the pantry and grabbing three pastries. He also grabbed three bottles of soda and tucked them under his arm.

"I assume you found that box," Aunt Petunia said with no emotion.

Harry stared at her for a moment before responding. "Yes, I did… thank you."

"Don't thank me," Petunia hissed, "I'm just glad to finally be rid of it. Just as I'll be glad to be rid of you."

Harry cringed only slightly. He was well accustomed to the harsh bitterness of his aunt's voice, but this was the first time he ever realized how much she hated him.

"Once I leave for the last time— you realize what that means?" Harry asked.

Petunia made an annoyed sound. "Don't concern yourself with my family's safety. The only danger we've ever been placed in was because of you."

"Still, you'll be a target," Harry said slowly. "It might we wise to…"

"Wisdom," Petunia said in a dramatic voice. "Your mother was full of wisdom and see the good it did for her."

"I'll be gone in less than half an hour," Harry said shortly before leaving the kitchen and making his way carefully back up the stairs.

Harry opened the door to his bedroom for the last time and tossed Ron a pastry and soda and placed the remaining food and drink on the where Hermione was sitting. Ron quickly snatched up the food. "'bout time. I was fixing to start eating your pillow."

"The cab should be here in a minute. We should get downstairs and outside," Harry said before he crammed a pastry into his mouth.

The cab arrived right on time and they took it to the train station they had traveled from the previous day. There they took another train to West Sussex. As the three loaded another cab, Hermione asked a question of the driver.

"Sir, do you know of Godric's Hollow in West Sussex?"

The cab driver coughed then adjusted his rearview mirror to get a better look at Hermione w ho was sitting in the backseat next to Ron. "Yeah, it's down near the old village. Not much down there though."

"Take us there," Harry said instantly. He didn't even bother trying to keep the anticipation out of his voice.

The cab driver coughed again and looked at Harry. "Easy there, son. What'cha wanna go down there for?"

"Private matter?" Harry said darkly before settling back into his seat.

Hermione frowned slightly and drew in a frustrated breath. "Why wouldn't we want to go there?"

"Bit of an odd place I suppose," the cab driver replied as he scratched his chin. "Nobody who's got any sense at all goes down there. All the shops are closed. There really isn't much from a tourist aspect. People even say it's haunted."

"I don't care," Harry snapped.

He didn't like the cab driver's tone. What did he know about being haunted?

"Well, you're the ones paying. I'll take you anywhere you kids want to go, within reason."

Ron suddenly asked, "Do you know of any houses that have blown up in the past twenty years or so in Godric's Hollow?"

"Ron," Hermione warned.

Ron frowned. "What? It was only a question."

The cab driver simply shook his head and continued on towards Godric's Hollow. The journey seemed to take an eternity but eventually the driver drove into a small town square. Hermione settled up with the driver as Ron and Harry got out of the cab.

"Well that is about it then. That was my last bit of money," Hermione said as she frowned at Harry.

It was very clear why this was referred to as the 'old village.' The only sign of life was an aging pub whose sign was dangling by one side. There were a few other buildings on the street, but it was apparent from the boarded up windows that they were not open for business.

"You kids watch out for yourselves," the cab driver shouted out the window before driving off.

Hermione leaned around Ron to get a better look down the street then turned back towards the pub.

"I guess this is our only option," Hermione commented.

Ron grimaced as Harry walked toward the door of the pub and pushed it open. A dank burst of air stung their faces. The interior of the pub was dim and the air was clammy with the smell of alcohol. It looked as if the establishment hadn't received a patron in months, maybe even years.

"Hello?" Harry called out as the three approached the bar area.

"We're not open," a hollow voice replied.

"We're looking for Dor Drive can you tell us where it's located?" Harry continued as he peered over the edge of the bar in hopes of finding the source of the voice.

"You don't want to go down there. Bad things happen to people who wander outside the town square," the hollow voice answered.

Hermione let out a faint cry as an odd-looking bald man appeared behind the bar. Apparently he had been kneeling down counting bottles. He eyed the three closely then repeated, "We're not open."

"What kind of bad things?" Harry asked before the man could disappear again.

The old man narrowed his eyes and his thin lips curled into a smirk. "Odd things. Things that no man can explain." He leaned over on the bar and signaled for Harry to come closer, though there was nobody else in the pub. "Some years ago there were two murders down near the old stream. One minute there was nothing, only a big abandoned field—then poof, there was a house smashed to ruins with two bodies found inside. Nobody even knew there was a house there. Suddenly this town was swarming with odd beings in cloaks and hats that were erasing people's memories. They could trick the sanest man into not believing his own eyes." The man finished with a nod as his finger pointed to his own eye.

Hermione grabbed Harry's arm as the old man's face grew wide and he mouthed the word 'aliens.'

"But not me. I was one of the smart ones. I kept my mouth shut and pretended like I didn't know a thing. It took about a year, but finally those odd beings disappeared. However, things never felt quite right after that. Rumors surround our little village. Those outlandish tabloid blokes are always coming down, trying to dig up trouble, but those aliens made sure there was no trouble to be dug up. "

"Down near the old stream, you say?" Harry asked.

"You didn't hear that from me. Not much good it would do you to go down there. There ain't nothing left. Not even the foundation remains."

Hermione suddenly spoke up. "Sir, is there perhaps a place in town that keeps records of the people who used to live here?"

The old man shook his head and ran his fingers over his bald top. "Didn't you hear a word I said? There ain't no records. Everything was doctored up and left like it never happened. Nobody even knew there was anybody livin' down there. Hell, nobody even knew there was a house!"

"What about the bodies, are they buried around here?" Harry asked.

"No, an aging fellow-- an alien with a long beard took the bodies." The old man looked around the room nervously then raised his hand as if he were afraid he would be overheard. "I overheard him tell another one of his kind something interesting. He said something about the two murdered people having family in Wales. That's about all I know I'm afraid.

"Wales?" Ron asked skeptically.

"Yeah, amazing ain't it? Who knew that Wales would be the aliens' nerve center," the old man nodded, as his smirk grew a bit wilder.

Hermione looked at Harry apprehensively as she bit her lower lip. It was clear that she didn't think the old man was sane, but was there method to his madness? Harry could almost sense what Hermione was thinking. It was the same thing he was thinking. Could Dumbledore have left this man's mind intact on purpose?

"Well, that explains everything," Ron said with a sarcastic grin. "We'll just be going before the aliens return."

The three left the pub and found the streets looked even eerier than before. A stiff breeze blew dust into the air as Harry peered over his shoulder. It was if the town had eyes and it knew what he was looking for.

"Do you want to go down to the old stream that nutter was talking about?" Ron asked.

"No," Hermione said forcibly. "This place isn't safe. Voldemort—for Merlin's sake, Ron-- probably assumed Harry would try to visit Godric's Hollow. It's amazing we haven't run into Death Eaters or…"

"Somebody from the Ministry," Harry completed.

Ron scowled, "Well we're going to have to Apparate now unless you have a better idea of how to get back to the Burrow. The Ministry is going to know where we are sooner or later."

"Honestly, why would you assume we're going to the Burrow? We need to get to Wales obviously Dumbledore wanted us to find out that Harry's family is from Wales," Hermione said with aggravation.

"Huh?" Ron scoffed. "Where did you get that from?"

"From the barkeep in there. Do you think it coincidence that all the other townspeople had their memories wiped clean by the Ministry, but that man was allowed to keep his?"

"They probably thought he was too loony to concern themselves. He wasn't worth the spell," Ron argued.

Harry sighed, "No, I agree with Hermione. Dumbledore wanted me to find that man. I'm meant to go to Wales. Still, that isn't much to go on."

Ron's face scrunched in concentration as if he were attempting to think of a perfect idea before he finally shrugged. "I guess we should go down to the stream and see if there is anything left then."

Hermione made an annoyed sound as Ron and Harry both silently agreed on their destination and started walking down the abandoned street. Hermione gave them both a look of disapproval but Harry figured she had finally realized her voice of objection was seldom heard.

The town looked like a once bustling place that had simply closed up. It was even difficult to find the road that led down to the stream. There weren't many options to choose from but they all seemed to go to the same places around the city.

"Look," Ron pointed to an old road sign that was partially hidden by an overgrown bush hiding a smaller street.

Hermione walked over to it and pushed the limbs aside. "Dor Drive."

The road was narrow and a thin strip of old-fashion houses lined the street. Like the town it appeared the houses had been deserted long ago. The houses were placed fairly closely together, but at the end of the street there was a large gaping space that didn't fit in with the surrounding neighborhood.

"That's where it was," Harry said flatly as the three reached the misplaced break.

"The place where you…" Ron started with a strained look.

Harry nodded as he walked on to the open grass. "Right here. This is where the room was where he killed my mum."

Hermione slowly reached out and touched Harry's arm and gave it a small squeeze.

"And there," Harry continued. "That's where the bottom of the stairs were. That's where my father fell."

"How do you know that?" Ron asked looking slightly perturbed.

Harry drew in a deep breath. "I don't know. It's like I remember it? But how could I remember it?"

"Sometimes the mind recalls traumatic memories," Hermione answered as Harry leaned down to touch the dirt with his fingers.

"I hear their voices when I encounter the Dementors, but being here…" Harry started as he gazed off lost in his own memories.

Hermione knelt down next to him and offered an understanding expression. "There isn't anything left, Harry."

"Dumbledore said that Voldemort would have created Horcruxes during particularly significant murders," Harry began. "Murders like he planned on committing the night he came to Godric's Hollow."

Hermione eyes lit up. "You think he was planning on creating a Horcrux and whatever he was planning on using or did use might still be here somewhere."

Harry nodded.

"That's like looking for a needle in a haystack. It could be anything," Ron argued. "It could be that rock other there or maybe even that old bottle."

Harry frowned remembering Dumbledore's words. "No Ron, you're thinking of Portkeys. Something Voldemort would want to use as a Horcrux would be special. It would have to be something that belonged to Ravenclaw or Gryffindor. Something he would regard as a trophy."

Hermione creased her face in thought. "You said the room that your mum fell was here?"

Harry nodded again.

"Accio Horcrux," Ron cried. But nothing came.

"Honestly," Hermione tutted. "Do you ever stop and think before acting like an idiot?"

"I don't see you coming up with any clever ideas," Ron retorted as he lowered his wand.

Hermione frowned and finally held out her wand with a look of stark fortitude on her face. She let her wand trace over the spot that Harry had identified as the place his mother had been murdered.

"Unciatim," Hermione said firmly as she allowed her wand to scan the ground.

"What are you doing?" Harry asked.  
s  
Hermione looked up. "Searching for an object. Any object, really that doesn't belong with its surroundings."

"Where did you learn to do that?" Ron asked.

Hermione raised her eyes. "**Unusual Charms of Modern Times**, chapter ten."

"What is it?" Harry asked as Hermione suddenly stopped and began digging with her hands in the dirt. Harry knelt beside her and helped her push away the dry loose soil.

"It's a medallion of some sort," Hermione said as she removed an object a moment later. "It's very old. I don't think it's historic Wizarding money or anything. I've never seen one of these before."

Harry reached out and took the coin out of Hermione's hand. A distinguished 'R' engraved into to the metal glimmered in the sunlight.

"It's something of Ravenclaw. I'm sure of it," Harry said quickly.

Ron's eyes grew wide. "Is it a Horcrux?"

Harry allowed the medallion to rest flat in his palm and he shook his head. "I don't think so. I can't feel anything. If it's part of Voldemort I should feel something."

"Not necessarily Harry. You didn't feel anything when you handled Riddle's diary," Hermione argued.

Harry sighed, "This is different. I can't explain it. I just know it isn't a Horcrux."

"All the same. I think a Curse Breaker like Bill should look at it before we simply dismiss it as not being a Horcrux," Hermione continued.

Ron asked sarcastically, "And what precisely do we tell him it is? An odd form of Wizarding money? He works at Gringotts. I think he'd figure out we were lying."

"We don't have to tell him what precisely to look for, just to look for something. If it _is _a Horcrux it would be surrounded by Dark magic which is easily detectable if you're using the right type of spells."

Harry frowned as he remembered the fate of Dumbledore's hand. "Whoever looks at it needs to be careful. If I'm wrong and it is a Horcrux there's no telling what kind of curses have been placed on it to protect it."

Hermione reached out and took the medallion out of Harry's hand for further examination. "I've never heard of Ravenclaw using coins for any purpose. The 'R' is the only thing that would signal it might have belonged to Ravenclaw, and the 'R' could stand for anything. It could stand for Riddle."

"Whatever it stands for I think this was meant to be Voldemort's fifth Horcrux," Harry said firmly as Hermione handed him back the medallion. He tucked it into his pocket and stood up dusting off his knees.

Suddenly there was a cry from the forest line and the sound of something or someone falling. Instinctly Harry drew his wand and Hermione and Ron mimicked his response.

"Put those away," hissed a voice.

"Charlie?" Ron asked as he turned.

"Yes, now put those away before a Muggle sees you," Charlie repeated as he came running towards the three.

Harry frowned. "You're tailing us?"

"Wotcher, Harry," Tonk greeted as she attempted to shake some leaves out of her pink hair. "Sorry if I startled you, but we were supposed to keep out-of-sight."

Charlie shook his head. "So much for that."

"Mum sent you didn't she?" Ron accused.

"Not unless Mum has aged a few years and decided to start wearing a magical eye," Charlie retorted.

Tonks chuckled, "You didn't think we were going to let you three go off alone?"

"Moody suspected that you might seek out Godric's Hollow eventually but not without letting someone know where you were going," Charlie said with a grin.

"You," he continued eyeing Ron, "I suspect you gave Mum a right heart attack when you took off at King's Cross."

"She was treating me like a child," Ron argued.

"You were acting like one," Charlie laughed.

"Stupid wanker," Ron grumbled.

Tonks shook her head causing her pink hair to fade purple. She winked at Harry as Charlie slapped Ron on the back of the head and told him to watch his language.

"We need to get going now that our cover is blown. Moody thought you were only going to Privet Drive. He'd have a fit if he knew you came all the way to West Sussex," Charlie started with a smirk. "Enough adventure for you three. We don't want to miss the festivities. Ginny looked murderous when I talked to Dad last night using the Floo Network-- Fleur is making her wear some crazy-looking crown on her head during the wedding."

Hermione glanced at Ron. "The wedding isn't for two weeks."

"These things take time, and planning. Fleur has next week all booked up with dinners and parties. She's really going to be an unusual addition isn't she?" Charlie replied.

Tonks raised her eyebrow in skepticism. "Better not let Bill hear you say that."

"Well, lets just hope Bill's face heals up a bit more before then."

Hermione glanced at Ron as he turned to Harry and mouthed, "What about Wales?"

"It can wait," Harry said lightly under his breath. "It can wait…"


	4. Plans and Relatives

**Chapter Four: Plans and Relatives **

Chapter Four: Plans and Relatives

The Burrow looked the same as Harry remembered it looking from the past year. It looked like home. Even before the five of them made it to the front door they could smell Molly's biscuits.

"I'm hungry enough to eat the entire kitchen," Ron said.

There were a few pans scrubbing themselves and a pot of something that smelt like stew simmering and stirring itself on the stove. In the corner sitting at the table was Molly Weasley. Her angry appearance greeted them as she sat with her legs and arms crossed.

"West Sussex?" Molly asked in a stern voice. "I thought you were just staying one night in Surrey?"

"It's my fault Mrs. Weasley," Harry spoke up. "I'm the one who wanted to go to Godric's Hollow."

"Harry, dear. I know you're trying to piece things together but there are other ways. We could have taken you there under protection. You're in serious danger. You can't just go off on your own like that. I don't care what you three have been through."

Her words hung thickly in the air and it caused Hermione's face to fall as she stood motionless taking it all in. She had never been comfortable at being reprimanded by an adult. Harry saw Tonks place an understanding hand on Hermione's shoulder and offer her a sympathetic look.

Molly looked ready to continue when Charlie placed his arms around her and gave a quick hug. "It's all right, Mum. We were watching them the entire time. Nothing happened. Didn't I promise you that we'd get them back here in one piece?"

"That isn't the point," Molly argued, looking flustered as she brushed off Charlie's arms. "The point is they shouldn't have run off without protection. It was reckless and none of us can afford to be reckless right now."

She rose from her chair and brushed out her knitted apron and sighed. "There are some fresh biscuits in the oven and some stew on the stove. Go ahead and eat up."

Harry felt guilt build in his chest as he saw a tear escape and fall down Molly's cheek. Ron frowned slightly as he watched his mother leave the kitchen before he opened the oven door and grabbed warm biscuit. Hermione, looking positively devastated, took a seat at the kitchen table.

"It'll be all right, Hermione," Tonks reassured. "Molly was just worried. You can't blame her. She does have a lot on her mind."

Charlie yawned as he took the biscuit Ron had passed Hermione out of her hands and stretched his back. "Well I'm off to bed. I haven't had a decent night's sleep in over a week."

"Why was Godric's Hollow deserted? What did the Ministry do?" Hermione asked quickly as Charlie approached the kitchen door.

He stopped and glanced at Tonks. It was apparent he hoped she would answer the question so he wouldn't have to. Tonks, however, returned Charlie's look with a bit of apprehension. She shifted slightly in her chair and nearly slipped off the edge before Charlie finally responded.

"Not a lot is known about Godric's Hollow," Charlie began. "All I know is it came under the Ministry's control after Harry defeated 'You Know Who' the first time."

Tonks nodded, "People were afraid that the Dark Lord's supporters would seek vengeance on the Muggles of Godric's Hollow so it was safer to relocate them which included erasing their memories."

"So what about the barkeep at the local pub?" Harry asked.

Charlie laughed lightly. "That old crackpot?"

"Dumbledore insisted that old Pete Mason be allowed to remain in Godric's Hollow. He is the great-great-grandson of a very powerful wizard and therefore had magical rights. The Ministry issued strict orders to leave the man be—it was something of a personal favor to Dumbledore," Tonks explained as she gave Charlie an unsure look.

Charlie shook his head and tossed up his hand. "As entertaining as this is I'm off to bed kids."

Tonks made a motion to turn back towards the door and stumbled slightly. She recovered from her near mishap gracefully and offered the three a thoughtful smile.

"I best be on my way as well. I'm supposed to be pulling a double tonight," Tonks explained. "You three stay put. Don't think we won't know if you try to run off anywhere." She paused and let her eyes rest briefly on Harry. "The only things you should be worried about is finishing up your seventh year at Hogwarts."

Ron snickered under his breath.

Tonks gave a wave and with a quick motion and a loud crack she was gone. Harry motioned for Ron to toss him a biscuit. His protesting stomach was informing him that the pastry that he had eaten earlier that day had long since been spent.

Hermione rose first from her position at the table and declared she was going to bed. Harry and Ron lingered behind her a bit so they could finish up their bite to eat. By the time they had finished a couple of bowls of stew the hour was late. Ron stifled a yawn.

"I think I might sleep till noon tomorrow."

Harry smiled slightly. "If you had actually slept last night you might not be so tired."

"What are you talking about?" Ron asked as his face began to redden.

"With Hermione on your shoulder?" Harry asked in a voice that could have either been accusatory or teasing.

Ron's face grew a bit redder as he tried to collect himself. "Oh, well—we were just talking about stuff."

"Stuff," Harry repeated unable to hold back his grin.

"Stuff," Ron stated again looking more flustered with every word. "She's rather worried about you."

Harry raised his eyebrow. "So 'stuff' would be me?"

"Not entirely," Ron corrected. "Don't get all bigheaded now. You weren't the entire subject of our conversation."

"Stuff?" Harry asked again, suppressing a chuckle.

Ron scowled. "Oh shut up. I'm off to bed if all you're going to do is pester me."

"Go on then. I'll just clean up this mess by myself. I'm sure if you hurry you might be able to peek in and tell Hermione goodnight. You might be able to talk about—stuff," Harry continued.

Ron tossed his half-eaten biscuit at Harry's head before rising from his seat and walking towards the door.

"See you in a bit then, mate."

"Hey, I was only joking. You have to help clean this mess," Harry called after Ron, but it was too late. Ron had already left the kitchen and was halfway up the stairs.

Harry grunted as he did a bodge job of polishing up the kitchen. He decided if Mrs. Weasley was unhappy with his cleaning skills, or lack thereof, he'd simply blame it on Ron deserting him.

He made one last attempt to wipe down the table before he tossed the dishcloth onto the counter and made his way out of the kitchen. He had almost reached the landing when something caught the corner of his eye.

Lying on the couch was Ginny Weasley. Her knees were curled up into her chest as a blanket dangled revealing her small feet. Harry felt his chest constrict as his feet resisted his demands to move. He had not been alone in the same room with Ginny since before Dumbledore died, and the stillness of the moment seemed to cause a fire deep within him to flare with a sudden spark.

Ginny shifted slightly and let out a deep sleepy breath causing the blanket to slip a bit further off her legs. Harry felt his heartbeat increase. The creature that had once raged inside his chest as he had battled his own feelings towards Ginny whimpered in defeat as he reminded himself that she was no longer his.

Ginny's hair hid most of her face in a sea of red and her nightdress revealed just a small patch of skin on her shoulder. It was almost too much of a temptation to go over and move the hair from her features. He would have given anything to be able to perform Legilimency at that moment, just to know for sure how she felt about their parting of ways.

Harry forced himself to turn back towards the stairs. He had made a choice, and it was the right choice. He had to forget about Ginny for her own good. The longer his heart yearned for her, the more danger she was in. As he crawled into bed and forced his eyes shut he tried to banish all thoughts of Ginny from his mind. The funny thing about dreams is they happen without the dreamer's permission. The harder Harry tried to force Ginny out of his dreams the deeper she fought her way in.

Charlie hadn't exaggerated Fleur's wedding plans. The next morning The Burrow was abuzz with talks of cakes and flowers. Some of the more distant members of the Weasley clan started arriving with more coming as the big day approached.

In all the excitement, Harry had managed to avoid running into Ginny. There was one uncomfortable moment where they had been left alone together in the kitchen, but there were so many guests in The Burrow the moment was quickly lost.

"Ginny is going to go insane," Hermione announced as she took a seat between Ron and Harry.

Ron snickered, "You'd think Ginny would be used to this bridesmaid's business by now."

"Fleur has her scheduled for brunch tomorrow. I don't believe I've ever seen Ginny dread something so muchin all her life." Hermione frowned as she propped open a book in her lap.

Harry shifted uncomfortably. It seemed like every time Hermione brought up Ginny she would watch him for a reaction. Harry however did not humor Hermione.

He leaned over and peered at the book in her lap. "Found anything about any Potters in Wales yet?"

Hermione's forehead creased and she shook her head.

"Maybe the old loon was telling the truth-- Maybe it's aliens," Ron jeered, but neither Hermione nor Harry laughed.

Hermione thought for a moment then sighed. "Perhaps we're going about it all wrong. Maybe it isn't Potters in Wales we should be looking for. The easiest way would be to ask somebody who knew your parents."

"Who would know anything about it?" Ron argued. "Well, who would tell us anyway."

Finding out what was in Wales was only the beginning of their problems. Harry seriously doubted Mrs. Weasley would be keen to let them venture back out into the world to go off on another adventure. Luckily it wasn't something he had to be immediately handle.

The Weasley wedding was turning into more of an event than any of them could have ever imagined. While there was some need to keep the wedding small, Fleur's idea of "small" wasn't limited to close friends and relatives. After several heated arguments, it was decided the wedding would take place at The Burrow.

The week passed quickly as the final wedding preparations went as planned. Harry hadn't heard for certain, but he had good reason to believe Ron had finally swallowed his pride and asked Hermione to be his official date to the wedding.

Both his best mates were acting rather chummy with one another, though they desperately tried to hide it. Every time Harry mentioned Hermione around, Ron he had promptly changed the subject. Occasionally he would wonder if Ginny had also found a date for the celebration. Although he was fairly certain it was next to impossible, he had even mentally prepared himself for the arrival of Dean Thomas. He suspected Hermione knew the truth about Ginny's feelings, but he also knew she would never tell him anything Ginny had confided in secret.

That Sunday night the creature in Harry's chest stopped whimpering and began another familiar activity as the truth was finally revealed.

"Ginny, eet's time." Fleur cried as the doorbell rang.

Fleur paused and glanced at Harry and smiled broadly. "My cousin eez ze only wizard to complete Beauxbaton with perfect scores. I have not seen him in over a year."

Harry found her comment odd but tried to pay it little mind. As soon as Fleur opened the door a tall light haired man seized her around the waist and lifted her off the ground.

"Bonjour," he greeted. "Je vous ai manqué"

"Philippe it 'az been far too long," Fleur replied as the boy set her back on the ground. "I 'av someone I want you to meet."

Fleur turned back towards the stairs and called out for Ginny again.

"I'm coming," Ginny hollered back sharply in an annoyed tone.

Fleur grabbed her cousin's hand and began to pull him towards the stairs muttering something in French that Harry did not quite understand.

Ron frowned as he looked at Harry. "Wonder why she wants him to meet Ginny?"

The place where Harry's stomach normally sat suddenly felt like lead as Ron's comment opened up an entire world of possibilities. It was like being smacked upside the head with a large brick. This cousin of Fleur's was obviously Harry's replacement.

"I'm sure it's nothing," Hermione had added casually while eyeing Harry.

Harry's suspicion was confirmed that night when Fleur carefully positioned her cousin, Philippe, next to Ginny during dinner that evening. Ginny didn't even glance at Harry, even though Harry felt his traitorous eyes seek her.

"I just know you and Philippe will 'ave the best of times together at the wedding," Fleur said as she beamed at Ginny. "Isn't she such a pretty girl, Philippe?"

"Oui," Phillippe said with a cheeky grin. "Très jolie."

Ginny blushed slightly but made no motion to suggest if she favored or opposed this pairing.

Ron glanced at Harry then back at Ginny who was now trying her best to avoid being the center of conversation. It was the twins that displayed the least amount of tact as they chuckled under their breaths.

"I thought Ginny was going to the wedding with Harry," George finally commented, causing both Ginny and Harry to snap their heads up in response.

Molly glanced warily at the twins. "Why would you think that, George dear?"

"Because he's an idiot," Ginny muttered miserably through her teeth.

"I dunno. Maybe there is more to Ginny and Harry than what you know," Fred teased.

George grinned. "They've been awfully well-behaved since the holiday started."

"And we're missing an entire batch of love potion," Fred added. "We have good suspicion it was an inside job."

Ginny gave the twins a murderous look before Ron intervened.

Ron shrugged. "Well, no offense, Phillippe, but aren't you a bit old for Ginny?"

"What does age 'ave to do with it?" Fleur snapped. "It doesn't matter, 'Arry is going with Gabrielle."

Harry choked and his pumpkin juice sprayed across the table at Fleur's comment.

" 'Arry, is something ze matter?" Fleur asked as she grabbed her chest dramatically.

"Love," Bill began as he reached for Fleur's hand. "Have you asked Harry about this arrangement?"

"If 'e doesn't want to go with Gabrielle 'e can tell me 'imself," Fleur said swiftly before eyeing Harry.

"I'm flattered," Harry said with a hard swallow, "but I'm really not interested in dating your sister, Fleur."

"You silly boy. I didn't mean for you to date 'er. I just thought the two of you could keep each other company during the wedding. She is very fond of you."

The twins started laughing under their breaths and Fred coughed what sounded peculiarly like, "So is Ginny."

"That's enough boys," Mr. Weasley said firmly.

"Indeed," Mrs. Weasley agreed. "Fleur dear, have you received any replies who have R.S.V.P.s for the ceremony? I would like an official count. There are security issues to consider."

"Oui," Fleur beamed. "Two of my friends from Beauxbaton 'ave confirmed."

Ron grinned slightly as a blush touched his face. Harry had to wonder if perhaps he had suspected wrong and Ron hadn't invited Hermione to the wedding as his date. Ron always did have a soft spot for French girls.

"Oh, and Viktor Krum 'as also owled me to let me know zat 'e is coming," Fleur added.

Suddenly it was Hermione who had a satisfied look on her face as Ron's innocent blush turned more into an angry flush.

"Krum was invited?" Ron asked in a disgusted voice.

Fleur nodded. "Oui, 'e was a shampion at 'ogwarts. It wouldn't be right if 'e didn't attend."

Ron looked angrily over at Hermione and let out a grumble of something incomprehensible under his breath. Harry and Hermione both rolled their eyes and turned back to their plates. The wedding just kept getting worse with each passing day.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five: A Weasley Wedding**

Ron's foul mood placed an unpleasant fog over everything that came within five feet of him during the days leading up to the wedding. It was obvious what was responsible for Ron's ill mood, but the problem had no simple solution. Like a good mate, Harry suggested that Ron ask Hermione to be his date for the wedding instead of moping.  
Ron replied that she already had her own invitation, and if she wanted go with him, then she should ask.

Harry pointed out that Hermione had asked Ron to be her date to Slughorn's, and that he had responded by snogging the daylights out of Lavender, which started the entire 'Won-Won' fiasco. As expected, Ron didn't remember it happening that way.

"She didn't ask me out," Ron argued, as he collapsed into his bed. "She merely asked me to tag along since you already had your own invite. Nevertheless—she didn't take me; she took that McLaggen prat."

"I was there, Ron. She did ask you out, and you accepted. That is until you decided to 'refine your technique' with Lavender." Harry grinned slightly, remembering Ginny's obvious description of the event.

Ron frowned and tossed a pair of his socks across the room. "Well, she snogged Krum."

"What does that have to do with it?" Harry inquired.

Ron looked completely stunned by Harry's lack of understanding. "What? It has everything to do with it! How would you feel if Michael Corner or Dean Thomas showed up at the wedding? You'd be put off, too."

"Ginny and I dated," Harry pointed out. "You and Hermione have never technically gone out."

"I don't see your point," Ron groaned.

Harry sighed in exasperation before asking the one question he had sworn he would never ask his best mate. "Do you fancy Hermione?"

The air grew heavy as Ron shifted uncomfortably on his bed with his mouth pursed and his ears flushed red. After an anxious minute passed, Ron shrugged.

"Oh come on," Harry cried. "I'm your best mate."

Ron lowered his head slightly and mumbled, "I haven't really figured that part out yet."

"It's not that difficult. Do you fancy her or not?"

"This is coming from the bloke who let me know he fancied my sister by gnawing her face off in front of the entire Gryffindor House in the common room." Ron retaliated.

Harry raised his eyebrows in amusement. "You're one to talk about snogging in front of people, Ron. If I had told you I fancied Ginny, you would have probably killed me."

"So you thought it would be safer to snog her in front of me?"

It was then Harry's turn to shrug.

"It isn't that simple," Ron exhaled. "Say I do fancy her. What happens if we don't work out? What if we have a falling out and it gets all awkward. There is too much at stake for me to take that kind of risk."

"I'm sure if the two of you broke up, you'd still be friends," Harry tried to assure Ron, though he didn't look convinced himself.

Ron gave Harry a questioning look. "Like you and Ginny?"

"We're still friends," Harry defended.

"Yeah, because I see the two of you chatting so often," Ron retorted.

Harry felt his face glow slightly at Ron's observation and felt the desperate need to take the attention off his relationship with Ginny. Quidditch was always a safe topic and Ron seemed thankful for the change in subject.

While avoiding talking about the subject was simple, avoiding the situation itself proved much more difficult. Hermione made no attempt to hide that she knew why Ron had gone from chatting her ear off to barely speaking a word in her presence.

"I didn't know Viktor was coming," Hermione declared one day while they had been mulling over some books she had bought for Muggle Studies a few years back over Muggle Communities in Britain.

Ron had raised his eyebrows but didn't respond. Harry had hoped it would have prompted Ron to actually do something rather than mope, but he was let down. The days passed quickly, and they found less and less time to work on the Wales dilemma. It seemed that any searching for Horcruxes would have to wait until after the wedding.

As the wedding approached, the daily activities became much more eventful. Fleur became more insufferable with each passing hour as she complained about each and every wedding plan.

"Madeye, 'e eez insane. I must have more room for all ze guest," Fleur ranted, and that was just the beginning of the whinging.

Fleur was upset about the dress robes, the food, the seating and most of all Ginny's lack of cooperation.

"Ginny, will you pleeze try to act like a lady?" Fleur spat loudly the night before the wedding, as Ginny stormed into the kitchen and threw herself into a chair.

"Act like a lady yourself," Ginny said, as Harry glanced at her nervously.

Harry had tried his best to avoid situations that placed him alone with Ginny. He didn't trust what his heart might lead him to do. On more than one occasion over the past week, he had resisted the impulse to approach Ginny and kiss her.

After a couple moments of silence, Ginny finally looked at Harry and groaned.

"You know you can acknowledge me. I promise I'm not going to throw myself at you."

"I'm not ignoring you," Harry said defensively, as his eyes scanned the room for the quickest way to escape. It was unnerving how Ginny sometimes seemed able to read his mind.

"If you're so bothered by my company I can leave."

Her face glowed with anger and frustration, but her eyes revealed sadness that Harry was certain was his fault.

"No," Harry said a bit too quickly. "I mean… you don't have to leave if you don't want to."

Ginny frowned in an attempt to recover from her temper as she pushed herself up from her seat. "Harry, I still want to be your friend. We broke up; things happen. I'm a big girl; I promise I'll get over this. What I won't get over is if you can't be my friend anymore."

"Of course we're still friends, Gin," Harry sighed. "It's just different now, that's all."

Ginny forced a grin. "You're the one who dropped me. Remember, you fancied your need to destroy the Dark Lord more than you fancied me and somehow the two are connected."

"Ginny," Harry tried to interrupt.

Her grin had faded into a grimace and she flashed him a 'let me finish' look. "After all, if anybody should be avoiding anybody it should be me avoiding you. You're the one who didn't even allow me the option to express my personal feelings over our break-up. Apparently, you decided parting ways only affected you."

Harry stared at her in disbelief, and the words escaped him before he even realized he had said them. "That isn't true. I broke up with you to protect you."

"Protect me?" Ginny scoffed. "Honestly, Harry, don't you think I have enough brothers?"

"He'll use you to get to me," Harry argued.

Ginny voice shook with anger. "So we're back to you."

"No!"

"Maybe you're on to something. It's much more pleasant when we aren't talking," Ginny hissed. The seconds grew tenser as Ginny stood glowering at Harry, determined to hear his response.

Harry frowned in defeat. "Ginny, I- it's not like that. I have to go after-"

"Voldemort. I know," Ginny sighed heavily, as she turned to leave. They'd had this discussion before, and she knew no matter what she said his mind was not going to change. "I just wish you'd let me…" she trailed off.

"Ginny, wait," Harry said, reaching out to grab her hand. His hand caught air since Ginny had already moved, sliding by Hermione as she exited the kitchen.

Harry turned back around in his seat, casting a downcast gaze at the empty spot next to him.

"It doesn't have to be that way, you know," commented Hermione, taking the seat next to him.

"Yes, it does," Harry said, not bothering to lift his eyes.

Hermione started to lecture when a loud wail pierced the air, causing both of them to jump off their chairs. As Harry glanced at Hermione, a loud crack sounded beside them, causing Harry's heart to jump again.

"What's going on?" Hermione asked in a voice that resembled Molly's so closely it caused Harry to cringe.

Fred grinned at his twin brother. "You can't prove anything. There is no evidence connecting us to the crime."

"Although it is a brilliant crime," George added.

Harry was about to ask what they were talking about when Fleur came blazing into the kitchen.

"YOU!" she wailed pointing to her hair. "Eet's ruined! 'Ow can I get married with zis"

Harry fought back the urge to laugh as he started at Fleur's new bright blue hair. George kept a straight face as Fred winked.

"I think that is a fantastic color on you," Fred said lightly.

"Fix eet! You 'ave to fix ett!" Fleur screeched.

George feigned innocence. "You think we did this to our favorite new sister-in-law?"

Fleur's hands flew to her face as she began to fan herself. "I cannot cry. If I cry I will be a poof face in ze morning."

Hermione looked angrily at the twins, but Harry saw the corners of her lips twinge. "Fix her before she has a breakdown."

"Only for you, Hermione," Fred said mischievously, as he pulled a vial of purple potion out of his pocket.

Harry thought about warning Fleur, but she snatched the vial out of Fred's hand and passed Hermione an appreciative look before he could get any words out.

"Two large gulps and call us in the morning," George said with a gleeful smile.

Fleur tossed her blue hair and left the kitchen mumbling something in French under her breath. Hermione glared suspiciously at the twins as they watched Fleur leave with a little too much enjoyment.

"Well?" Hermione asked.

Fred smiled, "Well, thanks for all your help."

"My help?" Hermione asked.

"If you hadn't put on such a splendid act, then Fleur would have never taken the potion," George explained.

Hermione's mouth fell open as she looked helplessly over towards Harry.

"What does the potion do?" Harry asked, although he wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer.

George looked at Fred, and they both smiled. "Although you'll probably be family someday, Harry."

"We can't divulge our secret," George finished.

"Hermione's here," Fred pointed out. "And we might want to pull the same prank on her one of these days."

"Oy, Fred," George said looking shocked. "You know we have something much more important in store for Hermione when she marries ickle Ronnie."

"You really shouldn't have done that to Fleur," Hermione snapped, as she fought the blush creeping into her face. "Bill is going to kill the two of you."

"He can't prove a thing," George insisted.

Fred grinned. "Besides, we won't be around when the moment comes."

Harry expected to wake the next morning to a loud screech. However, whatever prank the twins had in store for Fleur didn't reveal itself with the morning sun. He toddled down the stairs and into the kitchen hoping to enjoy a nice spot of breakfast before the wedding. Most of the guests were arriving that afternoon, and it appeared the rest of the Weasley clan hadn't greeted the morning or they were getting ready in their rooms. Moody had insisted on arriving before breakfast to discuss further security measures.  
Harry almost choked on his toast when Moody slammed his wooden leg on the floor.

"This is no laughing matter, Arthur. I seriously think a few biting dust bins would add to the security," Moody insisted. "We can place them on the perimeter in case any Death Eater tries to stash a wand."

"Alastor, we aren't charming any biting dust bins," Arthur sighed. "I would never hear the end of it if a guest lost a finger."

"The marriage of your son is a target! Constant vigilance! We can't afford to let our guard down. An event like this is just the opportunity the Dark Lord needs."

Arthur shook his head and pinched the skin between his eyes. "We've already narrowed the guest list down to fifty. There are going to be several Order members present, not to mention seven Aurors and a handful of Ministry officials. What more do we need?"

"We need a few biting dustbins at the very least. Maybe we could install a Foe Glass somewhere near the door… and I have a potion, to lace the punch with, which would cause anybody with the Dark Mark to fall over dead."

Arthur moaned loudly. "I really don't think all that is necessary."

"I know the way Dark Wizards think," Moody barked. "Don't tell me what is necessary and what isn't."

"Fine, we might talk Molly into a Foe Glass, but no biting dust bins," Arthur sighed.

Harry glanced over at Ron, and he knew that he was thinking the exact same thing. Moody was insane. Hermione entered a moment later, followed by Ginny who looked angry enough to perform a devastating Bat- Boogey Hex to the next fool to step in her path.

"I'm not wearing it," Ginny said bitterly, as she flung a strange-looking tiara onto the kitchen table.

Hermione placed an understanding hand on her arm. "It really isn't that bad."

Ginny gave Hermione an annoyed look before snatching a piece of toast from the plate on the center of the table.

"Ginny? Are you 'ere?"

Ginny dropped her head onto the table. "Oh no."

"Ginny?" cried Gabrielle, as she pushed her way into the kitchen. " 'Ere you are."

"What now?" Ginny moaned.

Gabrielle smiled sweetly as she caught sight of Harry. " 'Arry, bonjour."

"Hello," Harry returned before lowering his head back to his breakfast.

"We 'ave to get ready. What are you doing? We cannot eat, eet eez too late to eat."

"It's breakfast," Ginny stated. "I promise I'll still fit into my robe if I eat a piece of toast."

Harry chuckled slightly as Gabrielle huffed under her breath and reached for Ginny's hand.

"We 'ave to go."

Ginny swatted at Gabrielle's hand. "I'll be there in a minute."

"You are ruining everything," Gabrielle snarled.

"Fine," Ginny conceded angrily before following Gabrielle out of the kitchen.

Hermione watched them leave then shook her head. "I do hope Ginny doesn't lose her patience and hex somebody."

"I kind of hope she does. It will make the wedding much more interesting," Ron snickered.

Harry wasn't sure how the day passed so quickly, but it seemed like before he could blink his eyes the wedding was upon him. After breakfast, he and Ron went back up to Ron's room and changed into dress robes for the day. The robes that Fred and George had purchased for Ron a couple years back fell short at Ron's ankles and Harry suggested Ron use an extending charm. If might have worked, but Ron had been a bit careless and the robe extended a bit too long and caused him to trip frequently.

When they finally made it downstairs to welcome the guests, they caught sight of Hermione smiling at a tall dark haired wizard across the room.

"Mionee."

Harry looked up as Viktor Krum approached and noticed Ron had already dashed across the room to Hermione's side.

"You look amazing," Krum said happily, as he spread his arms to give her a hug.

Harry had to admit that Hermione did look nice. She would not be in the wedding so she hadn't been forced to wear the ice blue dress robes Fleur had chosen. Instead, Hermione had worn slightly less formal gray robes, but it suited her well. As Krum released Hermione from an embrace, Ron took a step forward, not bothering to hide his disgusted look. Krum didn't even seem to notice him.

"Harry Potter," Krum greeted with a warm handshake. "I vas hoping I vould get a chance to see you again."

Harry smiled nervously as he watched Ron's hand clench into fists. Hermione also seemed to notice Ron's tension and she quickly grabbed Viktor's arm.

"Viktor, why don't you grab a seat and I'll chat with you in a bit," Hermione said hastily, as she ushered Krum towards the back garden.

Ron glared after them while mumbling under his breath.

"Mionee?" Ron mocked when Hermione came back into view.

Hermione raised her right eye. "He has trouble pronouncing my entire name so I told him it was alright to shorten it."

"Giving each other pet names now?" Ron asked sharply.

Harry took in a deep breath and turned his head. He was in no mood to listen to another row between his two best mates. When he did, he caught sight of Ginny coming around the corner, and his breath caught in his throat.

He doubted she even realized how beautiful she was. Her robes danced across the ground and her hair was tied on top of her head in an elegant knot with a few loose curls around her face. He doubted dress robes had ever looked so wonderful on anyone. Just when Harry felt he might break down, her date appeared by her side and brought him back down to reality.

"Honestly, I'm not here with Krum," Hermione said heavily. "We're just friends."

"Friends don't give each other pet names," Ron argued.

Hermione's brow creased. "He knows I'm interested in someone else."

"Someone else?" Ron asked.

"Yes, someone else, and if you were as good of friend as you claim you are, then you would have figured that out by now," Hermione ranted before storming away.

"Well, what was that all about?" Ron asked. "Like she expects me to read her bloody mind."

Harry couldn't ever recall The Burrow ever looking so pleasing to the eye. The back garden was free of gnomes, and pearly white chairs were lined in rows in front of a gigantic wedding altar that was made from ice that seemed impervious to melting.

He sat near the front with Ron, Fred and George. Fleur had insisted that the number of groomsmen and bridesmaids be equal, meaning not all the Weasleys could be in the wedding.

Ginny and Gabrielle stood on one side in their robes of icy blue. Charlie and Paul, Bill's best mate from Hogwarts, stood on the opposite side next to Bill. His scars were healing much faster than anyone would have first thought possible and anybody who saw Bill on a routine basis claimed they could barely see them.

Harry studied his surroundings and tried to take it all in. It was the first wedding he had ever attended, and it was exactly how he had always pictured it to be.

Mrs. Weasley sat in the row in front of him, sobbing lightly as Mr. Weasley placed an arm around her shoulder. Sitting on the opposite side was Percy and a few other Ministry officials. Harry tried hard not to let his eyes linger on Percy and his entourage.

Ginny's date sat on the same side as Percy surrounded by several of Fleur's relatives, including her mother who looked just as breathtaking as her daughter. It was apparent the Veela came from her mother's side. Harry continued to scan the crowd and noticed a few Order members sitting towards the back.

Tonks was in attendance wearing flattering black robes that she didn't seem quite comfortable in. She had toned her hair down a bit for the ceremony and it glowed brown, but not mousy. Remus Lupin sat next to her, but neither looked very cozy. Harry could tell that Lupin had his wand gripped beneath his dress robes ready for any attack that might come.

Moody wouldn't even take a seat, and he seemed positively content patrolling the back of the crowd in case there was someone uninvited hiding in their midst. Kingsley Shacklebolt was in a seat sitting opposite of Remus and Tonks. Next to him was a wintry- looking witch with dark skin. Although Harry had never seen her before, it was apparent that she too was an Auror. Her eyes darted through the crowd, pausing suspiciously on certain guests before moving on to the next. When her eyes locked onto Harry, she narrowed them and passed him a frigid glare.

"Who's that back there with Kingsley?" Harry asked as her turned his head.

Ron glanced backwards then shrugged. "His date?"

Harry shook his head and glanced back towards Remus. Hagrid was now sitting next to him with Madame Maxime at his side. He saw Madame Maxime pass Hagrid a tissue, which he took to hide his face.

"Good crowd," Ron whistled, as he refrained from looking over his shoulder. "Didn't realize Bill was so popular."

Harry rolled his eyes. He knew that Ron didn't want to look over his shoulder because Hermione was two rows back sitting next to Viktor Krum. He couldn't blame Ron; he did have a valid argument for not wanting to pursue things with Hermione. Still, he couldn't help but feel his friends would be much happier if the circumstances were different.  
Harry glanced back towards Ginny and tried his best to ignore the parallels in the two situations. He missed talking to her and he only felt half-whole without her in his life. He forced his eyes off Ginny, and instead watched Fleur's great-grandmother. She sat just to the left of the ice altar in front of a golden harp that looked unlike any instrument Harry had ever seen.

No sooner did he notice the aging witch than she reached across the strings and let her fingers dance. It was a magical sound unlike any he had ever heard before. Each note jumped into the air and exploded blissfully in his ear.

"Veela Harp," Fred commented with a dazed expression.

"Lovely," George added.

Harry felt his lip curl into a dopey grin as the crowd shifted in their seats to watch the bride travel down the aisle. Her wedding robes were two shades lighter than Ginny's and Gabrielle's. It was nearly white. The tiara, which Ron's aunt had loaned , glimmered in the bright sun like slivers of ice. Ron's mouth fell open as Fleur passed, and Harry had to fight having the same reaction.

"Bill is one lucky bloke," Ron said in disbelief.

Fleur arrived at Bill's side and turned to face him as they both smiled at each other.

Charlie and Gabrielle both moved from their positions next to the bride and groom to in front of them. Reaching out, they took the couple by the hand and bound them together with a soft velvet ribbon.

Harry felt his chest become heavy as Bill took a small ring from Charlie and slid it on Fleur's bound hand. Fleur repeated his motion, taking a ring from Gabrielle and sliding it on Bill's hand.

"I take you as my wife in my heart for all my life," Bill said in a soft tone, as he gazed down at his young bride.

Fleur returned his smile. "I take you as my 'usband in my 'eart for all my life."

As Fleur's words reached Harry's ears, he found Ginny's eyes. Harry tried to turn away from her gaze, but he was captured.

"Bound together forever, by love. May life bless this union and may each of you take care of each other until this Earth you do part," Charlie recited, as he slowly removed the satin ribbon from their hands.

"Ladies and Gentlemen Mr. and Mizzes Bill Weasley," Gabrielle said gleefully, as Bill reached over and pulled Fleur in for a kiss.

As the crowd began to mingle and congratulate the young couple, Harry had a sudden flashback of the Yule Ball. Fleur's great-grandmother began a light ballad on her harp, and Bill took Fleur by the waist and began to dance with her. A few guests cleared chairs to create a makeshift dance floor as the newlyweds waltzed.

Charlie tapped Bill on the shoulder and gave a brief bow before taking Bill's place as Fleur's dance partner. Both Weasley brothers were graceful dancers, and Harry wondered where they had learned it.

"Oh no," Ron mumbled, as Charlie lead Fleur in their direction.  
Before Harry could move out of the way, Charlie had stopped right in front of Harry and Ron and Fleur looked anxiously to see who would be her new partner. Harry could tell by the color of Ron's face that if he attempted to dance with his new sister-in-law, he would make a complete fool of himself. He did the only thing he could think to do. He bowed slightly as he had seen Charlie do and took Charlie's place.

"Congratulations," Harry offered, as he nervously tried to remember how to dance.

"Ah 'Arry, you are too sweet," Fleur gushed. "You must dance with Gabrielle; it is all she 'as talked about."

Harry breathed a sigh of relief when he felt a soft tap on his shoulder and Mr. Weasley took his place. It hadn't been too awful and he had saved Ron from a potential humiliating moment.

" 'Arry, would you like to dance?"

His sanctuary off the dance floor was in sight, but he knew there was no escape. If he lied and made an excuse not to dance with Fleur's little sister, she would be devastated. Even though he truly didn't want to dance, he couldn't be that cruel. He took a great deal of care in placing a good distance between the two of them as they began to dance.

"I love this song," Gabrielle conversed. "Very beautiful, no?"

"Yes," Harry said quickly, "it's a lovely song."

"Oui, I used to 'um it 'en I was a little girl," Gabrielle continued, as she moved closer to Harry.

Gabrielle was a good half-foot shorter than Harry, but he could still feel her eyes staring into his chin as she made contented sounds. Harry shifted backwards a bit further as she tried to nuzzle closer to him and lay her head on his chest.

"Iz something zee matter?" Gabrielle said with a confused expression.

"I think it's my turn," said a familiar voice to the back of Harry, and he saw Gabrielle's face fall.

She smiled weakly and stepped away from Harry to allow his new dance partner access to his arms. Ginny Weasley looked curiously up at Harry as he clumsily placed his hands on her waist. It was impossible to tell which situation was more uncomfortable for Harry.

"I don't recall you being this shy about touching my waist in the past," Ginny joked.

Harry let a chuckle leave him. It was amazing how naturally his hands fit against Ginny's sides. He fought the urge to look into her eyes, because he knew if he did, he would fall and there would be no escape. He barely clung to a rational reason why he couldn't do what his heart told him was right.

"What are the three of you planning?" Ginny asked suddenly, causing Harry's focus to shift.

Harry feigned innocence. "Planning?"

Ginny frowned. "I'm not stupid. The three of you have had your heads in books since you got here, and I just heard Ron asking Hagrid about Wales. What's in Wales?"

Harry stopped. "Ron was asking Hagrid about Wales?"

"Yes," Ginny affirmed. "What's in Wales?"

Harry didn't answer. Reality fell heavily back on his shoulders and he realized that the wedding was the perfect opportunity to find out valued information about his parents' connection to Wales.

"Fine, don't tell me," Ginny snapped. "You can't shut me out of this, Harry. It's my fight, too."

"I don't want to fight," Harry said quickly, as he felt Ginny recoil out of his touch.

She narrowed her eyes. "If you won't tell me what you three are up to I'll figure it out myself."

She stormed off looking disgusted and angry, and Harry felt his heart ache for a reason he didn't understand. The sanctuary off the dance floor seemed like a place that didn't seem too wonderful now that he had held Ginny. He saw Phillip approach her and accompany her back onto the floor, and Harry felt the beast in his chest roar in anger as Phillip made Ginny smile.

He plopped down miserably down in a chair and scanned the crowd in search of Ron. He doubted he'd find Hermione. She was probably on the dance floor with Viktor Krum.

"Wotcher, Harry," greeted Tonks, as she took a seat next to him.

"Yeah," Harry grumbled. "Why aren't you and Lupin dancing?"

Tonks laughed. "I'm not much of a dancer—two left feet."

Harry grinned slightly as he scanned the dancing crowd. "Is that?"

Tonks nodded. "Yep, Ron and Hermione dancing…"  
Harry's heart pounded painfully. Perhaps Hermione was right. Things didn't have to be this way; though he still had his doubts.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six: Home Sweet Home**

The door to The Burrow burst open and Charlie Weasley began to search the room carefully.  
"Where are Fred and George?" he sighed in a slightly bemused tone.

Harry could see the urgency in Charlie's face and knew that the prank of pranks had finally been revealed, and that Bill was either comforting his new bride or off hunting the twins down.

"I haven't seen them for a couple hours," Mr. Weasley replied, as he rose to his feet. "What happened? What did they do?"

"Trust me, you don't want to know," Charlie answered with a cheeky grin.

"Those two never know when to quit. I told them to leave Fleur alone after they turned her hair blue last night," Mr. Weasley said as he took a long-suffering breath. "How bad is it?"

"Bad," Charlie grinned. "Our little petite flower, well, she isn't so petite anymore."

Mr. Weasley grabbed his wand off the table and nodded towards Remus Lupin, who joined him, as they followed Charlie. Bill and Fleur hadn't even been gone an hour and Harry could only imagine from Charlie's description what Fleur might resemble.

Ron grinned slightly. "Brilliant! How do they think this stuff up? I bet Ginny isn't going to stay angry at them after this."

Hermione sighed. "They don't think; they never stop and think before pulling one of their stupid jokes."

"Oh, Hermione, lighten up. Be glad it wasn't a prank on you," Ron retorted. "They only did it to make up to Ginny. Fleur has been driving her mad."

The day was nearing its end and the tranquility of twilight crept through the window. Harry knew as the sun set on this last day of normality that it would rise on a new dawn where the world would not seem so carefree. Laughs would grow to be few and far between, and love would be a forgotten dream that only fools dared to remember. As each moment on the clock ticked by, and guests parted and went on their way, Harry felt the icy grip of fate tighten on his arm.

"Harry, are you all right?" Hermione asked suddenly.

Harry swallowed hard. "I dunno."

Ron shifted suddenly at Harry's response, but he looked unsure of what to say. It had been an odd day, and here they were sitting in front of the fireplace relaxing as if it had just been another day.

"Mione?"

Ron's head jerked towards the silhouette of Viktor Krum standing in the doorway.

Hermione stood and brushed a few wrinkles out of her dressrobes. She passed Ron an unsure look before tutting under her breath and stalking off. Viktor offered his arm and Hermione took it.

When they had disappeared from view, Harry turned back towards Ron. "You all right, mate?"

Ron looked calmly into his hands. "Why shouldn't I be all right?"

"So you aren't upset?" Harry pushed.

Ron grinned as if he were trying to remember a fond memory and then shook his head. There were times for words, and this wasn't one of them. What had happened between Ron and Hermione wasn't his affair, and Harry had a feeling he was better off not knowing. Cupid's logic had already proven a nasty temptation and he was unsure if he'd safely emerge after another round with the god of love.

"I'm going for a walk," Harry announced.

"I think I'm going to sit here a bit longer," Ron returned, as he leaned back, with a deep and anxious look, against the chair. "Yeah, I think I'll wait."

Harry didn't question his best mate's motives, mainly because he doubted Ron would have been honest about them. It appeared as if the entire evening might prove a waste of an opportunity.  
Hagrid had proved most unhelpful for once. The half-giant was distracted by Madame Maxime for the evening and simply managed to sidestep all of Harry's questions about Wales. Lupin had proven too clever and even went as far as telling Harry 'not to leave The Burrow or the Weaselys care.'

"Don't concern yourself with Wales, Harry. No good can come from chasing ghosts," Lupin had warned.

The selection of useful contacts to interrogate was dwindling. The music still flowed softly as a few lingering couples continued to enjoy the dance floor. Ginny and Fleur's cousin, Phillippe, were sitting on the ice altar stairs, chatting. It was  
an innocent enough scene, but it still caused a deep-pitted rage to roar in Harry's chest.

"Ready for your seventh year?"

Harry felt a hand grip his shoulder as he turned around to face Kingsley Shacklebolt.

"Sure," Harry responded emotionlessly.

Kingsley nodded. "We're working hard to get new security set up at Hogwarts. Hopefully the governors will vote to reopen the school. Slughorn is pushing for it; I think he feels he owes it to Dumbledore."

"I thought Professor Slughorn might leave Hogwarts even if it did reopen," Harry admitted.

"Enough small talk. What was it?" Kingsley asked in a serious voice.

"What was what?"

Kingsley grinned. "What you found at Godric's Hollow. Yes, Harry, I know you found something. Frankly, I thought you might have brought it to the Order's attention by now."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Harry said quickly, as he studied Kingsley for a reaction.

Kingsley sighed. "I'm a member of the Order. You can trust me. I won't run off and blab to the Ministry."

Harry swallowed hard. "I can't tell you. I promised Dumbledore."

"Dumbledore is dead, Harry. If it's important … Sometimes you can ask for help. Nobody will think less of you or your promise to Dumbledore."

"It's complicated," Harry continued.

Kingsley frowned. "What isn't? All right, don't tell this big secret, just show me what you found."

"If I show you-- you can't tell anybody. Could you test it?" Harry whispered quickly.

Kingsley raised he eyebrows. "For what?"

"A Dark curse…Dark magic," Harry said quickly.

Kingsley slowly nodded. "Most curses are simple enough to detect. I would have imagined you or one of your other halves would have already done any basic tests. Do you have it with you?"

With a nervous breath, Harry pulled the medallion from his pocket and handed it to the Auror. Kingsley took it from his hand and studied it.

"It's very old," Kingsley commented, "and you found this at Godric's Hollow?"

Harry nodded.

Kingsley frowned. "That patch of land has been combed through more times than I can recall. I can't believe we missed this."

"Do you think it's Dark?" Harry asked.

Kingsley pulled out his wand and set the medallion down on a chair before tapping it gently with his wand. Nothing happened.

"It doesn't appear to have any signs of Dark magic. Still it's difficult to say for sure; it might be wise to test it more thoroughly. You can never be to sure with such things. You really ought to have brought this to the attention of the Order before now if you  
suspected Dark magic."

Harry sighed. "It would be difficult to trace this kind of magic."

"If it's that important, I won't ask questions. However I'm afraid I can be of no further help. You'd have to tell me what I'm looking for,"  
Kingsley insisted. "If it's complex magic, then I'd need to know precisely what sort of test to do."

Harry held his hand back open and Kingsley placed the object back in his hand. "You understand, don't you?"

"The Order is not above treason. We've had leaks before and I think if what you're protecting is as important as you claim, then it's wise not to reveal such secrets," Kingsley nodded. "Dumbledore trusted your judgment, and so will I."

Harry tucked the medallion back into his pocket, feeling empty of answers. Perhaps it was just a trinket with no magical properties. If it was important, surely the Ministry or the Order would have found it years ago. He collapsed in a nearby chair in frustration when he heard Hagrid's alert voice.

"What'cha saying, Alastor?"

Harry spun around at the sound of Hagrid's voice and saw Moody with his wand drawn-- his magical eye spinning rapidly.

"Something isn't right," Mad-Eye warned as his eye spun around and focused on Harry. "Get inside now!"

Harry felt a lump form in his throat as he watched several remaining guests rise to their feet and approach Moody. Part of him hoped that Mad-Eye was just being paranoid since he made such a habit of it.

Kingsley surveyed the area. "Where is Arthur?"

"He went with Charlie and Lupin," Harry answered.  
"I told you to get inside," Moody barked.

Harry felt a tug on his hand and glanced sideways to see Ginny urging him to safety. She looked nervous, but determined as he finally gave in and rushed back towards the house.

He glanced backwards and saw Fleur's cousin, Philippe, racing towards them and farther in the distance, a group of cloaked masked figures neared.

"Get inside," Harry whispered, as he tried to push Ginny through the door.

Ginny frowned as she stopped herself on the doorway and let her eyes travel the line Harry was looking. She gasped and he felt her grab his arm.

"What's going on?" Ron asked, as he appeared at the door.

"Get Ginny inside," Harry ordered, as he looked desperately at Ron.

Ginny snapped, "No."

"Ron, get Ginny inside," Harry repeated.

"No," Ginny yelled again. "I want to fight."

"Fight what?" Ron asked apprehensively.

A few more guests made their way into the house using the other entrances but none of them were Order members. The sound of Moody's tone and warnings played on a constant repeat in Harry's mind.

Harry saw Hermione running across the garden with Krum a moment later. They were making their way over when a large blast knocked everybody off their feet, and the roof of The Burrow erupted into flames.

"GET OUT OF HERE!" Tonks screamed, as she lifted herself from the ground.

There were the sounds of Disapparations all around as the various guests disappeared, but many of them stood paralyzed by fear.

"Ginny" Philippe cried, as he fought through the panicked crowd.

Philippe looked defiant as he reached out to take Ginny's hand. "I will not leave you 'ere."

Even in the tenseness of the moment Harry felt the sudden urge to hex Philippe

"Expellarmus," Tonks shouted over Harry's head.  
Harry's felt heavy beads of sweat building on his forehead as he looked over his shoulder and saw a group of Death Eaters approaching quickly. His eyes quickly scanned the crowd for Hermione, but she was nowhere to be seen. A window shattered causing them all to duck again. Tonks jumped back to her feet and brandished her wand. Moody was right behind her, limping as quickly as his wooden leg would allow.

"Damn Death Eaters have us outnumbered. "Grimmauld!" Moody croaked, as he grabbed Philippe's arm, and the two disappeared with a loud crack.

Tonks glared over toward Harry, Ron and Ginny. "What are you three waiting for?"  
"Where's Hermione?" Harry asked.

Tonks glanced around before responding. "She's probably already Disapparated. There isn't time…"

Tonks jerked her head to the right and barely dodged out of the way of a curse aimed at her head.

Ron glanced at Ginny and made a reach for her.  
"I'm not leaving without Harry," Ginny cried.  
Ron frowned, and Harry could see the fear in his eyes. "We've got to get out of here."

Ron was right; they had to get out of there. The Burrow was a glowing ball of fury as the billowing yellow and red flames danced across the darkened sky. Harry cast Ron a glance, and both boys nodded in agreement. Harry grabbed hold of Ginny around the shoulders and Disapprated. The sensation wasn't much better than he remembered. The last time he had Disapparated he had been with Dumbledore. Harry heard the sounds of cracks around him and knew others were arriving.

"Harry," Hermione wailed, and he felt a swift pair of arms cling around his neck. "Where's Ron?"  
Another loud crack sounded and Harry felt Hermione's arm release him. He turned just in time to see Hermione engulf Ron in a crunching hug.

"Has anybody seen Arthur or Charlie?" Mrs. Weasley cried frantically, as she scanned the room for her family.

"They're fine. Tonks went to warn them," Kingsley assured, as he clutched an injury he had suffered. The dark-skinned witch, who had been sitting next to him at the wedding, was attempting to mend it.

It looked as if all of the Order members who had been lingering after the wedding were now safe, but Harry feared The Burrow itself would not share their fate.

Kingsley flinched from his wound. "There had to be twenty of them if not more."

Mrs. Weasley let out a stifled sob as she nearly collapsed onto her knees. "Has anybody seen Fred or George? I don't want them trying to go back."

"We'll find them, Molly. Don't fret," the dark-skinned witch assured as she shook her head, indicating that she couldn't mend Kingsley's wound.

"I warned Arthur we needed biting dustbins. It could have spared us some more time," Moody said angrily. "I hate having to run."

"We're all safe, that's the important thing," Mrs. Weasley choked out weakly.

Harry turned to see Ron holding Hermione against his chest trying to offer her comfort as she sobbed. They both looked a bit rattled, but they were safe. Ginny was sitting on the couch holding her knees against her chest, and Philippe had his arm around her shoulder looking confused, but still defiant.

"What 'as 'appened?" Philippe asked in a shaky voice. "What eez zis place?"

Moody slammed his wooden leg against the floor with a loud thump. "Damn. Philippe is it? Would you care to follow me?"

"Alastor," the dark-skinned witch said wearily, "you know the rules."

"It's a stupid rule," Moody barked. "What would you have me do, Aeval?"

The dark-skinned witch spat. "He isn't some Dark wizard. Just send him home."

"Just send him home? That's insane!" Moody roared.

Kingsley held up his uninjured hand. "She's right. We don't need the Ministry causing us any more grief."

"Fine," Moody barked, "I'll take him home. You, come with me."

Philippe looked a little uncertain, but finally rose and followed Moody out of the room. Ginny didn't seem to notice as she continued to stare off blankly into space. A couple more minutes passed before Tonks Apparated into the room, looking pale and breathless.

"Molly, they're fine. Arthur told me to tell you that he and Charlie will be along shortly."

"Oh thank goodness," Mrs. Weasley sighed. "Where are they now?"

Tonks glanced at Harry and grinned. "Nobody told you then?"

Molly gave Tonks a frustrated look.

"Fleur was, err--having a bit of an issue, and Charlie and Arthur are lending their services," Tonks stumbled.

Mrs. Weasley's face flushed. "Fred and George?"

"Ah, Molly, thar jus' bein' kids. It prolly was er good thin' Arthur an' Charlie wern't around when we were attacked" Hagrid sighed, as he rubbed his forehead with his large hand.

Tonks lowered her head and slowly walked over to Mrs. Weasley and lowered her voice. "Molly, there isn't anything left. The Ministry has arrived at the scene, but there wasn't much they could do. The Death Eaters also attacked the nearby Muggle village."

Harry could barely hear Tonks as she spoke, but the softness of her words made it feel all the more unreal. Ginny jolted with a deep sob as a few tears escaped down her cheek. She kept her eyes focused straight ahead.

"All our things… all our memories," Ginny whispered.

"We're all safe, and that is what matters most," Mrs. Weasley said firmly before turning and disappearing into the kitchen.

Tonks collapsed clumsily into the nearby couch. "It was bold, even for Death Eaters."

"But not unexpected," Kingsley commented heavily.

"Bit more o' them than I remember," Hagrid added. "Must 'ave bin doin' sum recruitin'"

"Or using the Imperius," the dark-skinned witch commented bitterly.

"The wedding should have had more Ministry-provided security," Tonks put in.

Kingsley let out a sarcastic laugh. "Scrimgeour wouldn't have allowed it. He's still bitter because he never discovered what Dumbledore was up to. He's a brilliant man, but just as blind as Fudge was when it comes to power."

Mrs. Weasley appeared a moment later though her eyes were a bit puffier.

"It's been an eventful night. I think a good night's rest will suit us all," she announced.

Tonks groaned. "Wish I could. I'm on duty in an hour."

"Kingsley, we need to get you to St. Mungo's and get that wound looked at," the dark-skinned witch said sharply.

"It's fine, Aeval. I'll have Remus look at it when he returns," Kingsley argued.

The witch scowled. "I'm reporting back to the Ministry. What should I tell Scrimgeour?"

"Tell him I've taken the Weasleys into hiding since they've become a priority target," Kingsley replied. "It must be because of their relation to Percy Weasley. It's no surprise that families are being targeted, and their connection to Harry Potter make them a priority."

"If he asks where you're hiding them?"

Kingsley smiled. "I'll include it in my report."

"You four, off to bed. These aren't the worries of children," Mrs. Weasley sobbed, as Harry felt a gentle nudge on his shoulder.

Ron nodded as he led Hermione up the stairs quietly. Ginny slowly rose to her feet and followed, but Harry lingered behind.

"I'm not tired," Harry said firmly.

"Well, I'll be reportin' back ter McGonagall. She'll be wantin' ter hear 'bout this," Hagrid said, as he cleared his throat.

"Tell Minerva that I'm sending Savage over to Hogwarts in the morning as an extra precaution. We have to assume that You Know Who doesn't want Hogwarts reopened," Kingsley instructed.

Hagrid nodded before passing Harry a concerned look. Unlike the others, he took the door. Tonks rose a moment later.

"I should go notify Hestia that we might need her for an extra watch tonight."

"That's a good idea," Kingsley agreed.

Mrs. Weasley placed a motherly hand on Harry's arm. "Dear, why don't you go get some rest? There isn't anything more you can do tonight."

Feeling exhausted and not wanting to argue any longer, Harry's feet found the floor and he traveled up the stairs towards the bedrooms. He had hoped he would never again have to set foot in Sirius's old house. There were too many memories he wasn't ready to face.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven: The Great Escape**

Chapter Seven: The Great Escape

The Burrow was gone, and with it came a distinct brand of 'Victim of the Dark Lord.' The Weasleys accepted Harry's gesture to stay at Grimmauld until The Burrow could be rebuilt, but the gesture was taken with a grain of salt. The family was essentially divided.

The twins were determined to stay in London near their shop. The attacks in Diagon Alley had increased and few witches or wizards ventured out into the open. Charlie was back in Romania working to uncover any information he could on the Dark Rising. It was rumored in The Quibbler that He Who Must Not Be Named was planning on raising dragons to use in attacks. While the tabloid wasn't known for its factual stories, no rumor could be taken lightly.

Bill had hidden his new bride in France, determined not to let her know the truth about his duties with the Order of the Phoenix. It was well-known that being a member was a death mark and he was determined not to let the day's tragedies place a shadow on his new marriage.

The few weeks after the attack passed slowly and reminded Harry of the summer before his fifth year. The members of the Order of the Phoenix wandered in and out with their reports. Most of them looked weary and lost. Mad-Eye Moody didn't have Dumbledore's charisma, the morale of the group was destroyed, and Harry seriously doubted that the Order was well-organized enough to fend off a major attack.

Many magical families had fled from Britain in hopes of escaping the Dark Lord's wrath, but there was no escape. The situation became grimmer with each passing day, and when the twins announced they were forced to close their shop because there was nobody left in Diagon Alley, it seemed that they had reached the lowest point.

"We don't have a choice," Fred explained.

George nodded. "We haven't had a customer in nearly three weeks."

"But the catalog sales are still booming. Dank Marks are still our best sellers," Fred continued. "It leaves a moldy looking green fungus wherever you place it when you add water."

"Well I must admit that I'm thankful that you two won't be at the shop any more during the day. It's a miracle that you haven't been attacked," Mrs. Weasley confessed.

Ron sighed as he pushed his way out of the kitchen where the twins were announcing their decision to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Harry and Hermione had tried to inconspicuously eavesdrop from the sitting room. The Weasleys had endured a difficult time in the weeks after the wedding and Harry couldn't help but feel responsible.

"They can't close the shop. It's the only place left on Diagon Alley," Ron moaned.

"There's still the Leaky Cauldron," Harry offered.

Hermione frowned. "For now, but how long can they stay open if nobody is venturing out?"

Harry knew that Hermione wasn't a huge patron of Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, but she realized it wasn't just a joke shop. Everything was changing. The Daily Prophet ran stories of Muggle towns being destroyed, kidnappings and murders of entire families.

Inside the walls of Grimmauld Place, they were sheltered, but outside their world was falling apart. Hermione's fears seemed more valid since she hadn't seen her parents since the Christmas holiday. Mad-Eye had promised her parents were safe and well-guarded, but Harry could tell she wasn't reassured.

A ball of rage had found permanent residence in the pit of Harry's stomach. He felt as if he could see the direction he was destined to travel but couldn't discover how to take the first step. Hermione's collection of books had been exhausted and the library at Grimmauld offered little encouragement unless they were interested in researching 'Dark Magic.' There was no point in planning an escape to Wales if they didn't even know what they were looking for.

There was talk of Hogwarts, but it seemed even the governors were sure what to do. It appeared that the most rational reason Hogwarts was safe was Dumbledore. Parents would not want to send their children to a place where one of the greatest wizards who ever lived was slain by a teacher.

Ron picked up a book, but before he even opened it completely, slammed it shut. "It's pointless; there isn't anything in this one that hasn't been in the twenty before it."

Harry exhaled. "He's right, this is getting us nowhere. Maybe we've stumbled across a dead-end."

"Or maybe you're just not looking in the right places."

Harry turned to see Ginny standing in the door way with her arms crossed and a determined look in her eyes.

"What are you on about?" Ron mumbled bitterly. "You don't even know what we're looking for."

Ginny shrugged. "You aren't going to find any information about any of Harry's family in Wales. Well, not in a book."

Harry glanced at Ron and then Hermione. Hermione lowered her head so low behind a book it looked as if she were trying to disappear behind the pages.

"Hermione," Ron said sternly. "You told her?"

"No," Hermione defended.

"I figured it out myself," Ginny snapped. "Hermione didn't tell me anything and I didn't tell her anything either."

"What would you know?" Ron inquired scathingly.

Ginny shrugged again. "What you're looking for."

"Which is?" Harry asked.

Ginny met his gaze for just a moment then looked away. He could see a trace of mingled hurt for being left out and a resolve to prove herself. There was something else that he couldn't explain and he wondered for the first time if their time together had truly passed.

Ginny approached the three and took a seat next to Hermione. She glanced over her shoulder towards the kitchen then leaned in closer and made a motion for them to do the same.

"I'm going with you," Ginny said firmly.

Ron frowned. "No you aren't."

Ginny's face turned a shade darker but she kept her cool. "Then I won't tell you what I know."

"Which is?" Ron demanded.

Harry quickly raised his wand as their voices grew louder and aimed it at the kitchen door. "Muffliato."

"I'm not a child, Ron. I'm in this just as much as you are, "Ginny continued, as she attempted to ignore Harry's gesture.

Harry felt his chest constrict as Ginny's words seared into his soul like a knife made of ice. She was right; she was in this as deep as Ron and Hermione were and he couldn't help but feel if something happened to her it would be his burden.

Ron frowned then turned on Hermione. "You've encouraged this haven't you?"

"She has a point," Hermione defended. "She's not that much younger than Harry."

"That isn't a point," Ron and Harry said together.

Ginny narrowed her eyebrows and looked harshly at Harry. "I've earned the right for you to trust me. It has nothing to do with my age; it has everything to do with your ego."

Ron threw his hands up in the air in a dramatically. "It doesn't matter because none of us are going anywhere. Mum is never going to let us out of her sight long enough so we can go to Wales."

As if on cue Mrs. Weasley poked her head out of the kitchen door. "Do you kids hear that buzzing?"

"I don't hear anything," Ginny said with a straight face as Ron, Hermione and Harry all nodded in agreement.

Mrs. Weasley shrugged and disappeared back into the kitchen.

Hermione glanced at Ginny. "We've actually already figured that part out."

"Have you?" Harry asked Hermione irritably.

Hermione quickly tried to explain. "I don't know where in Wales. I told Ginny not to tell me, but we did come up with a way of getting past Mrs. Weasley."

"I'm going," Ginny said firmly.

Harry reluctantly nodded and Ron made a disapproving grumble in Harry's direction. He knew Ron would fuss at him later for allowing Ginny to be placed in danger, but Harry could see no way around this particular technicality.

Ginny took a deep breath and then started. "The reason you can't find what you're looking for in any of those books is because Dumbledore made sure any evidence connecting Harry to Wales was destroyed to protect his great aunt. Apparently, when Harry's parents died, she was his last living relative on his father's side. However, it was Harry's mother's sacrifice that saved him therefore he had to go live with his mother's living relative. Tonks said she really didn't understand it all and that was the best she could explain it."

"Tonks?" Harry asked. "Why were you and Tonks talking about me?"

Ginny blushed lightly but kept her composure. "When your parents were murdered Dumbledore told Hagrid to bring you to your great aunt's, Leanne Purter Potter, home in Wales so she could say her goodbyes before bringing you to the Dursleys."

"Is she still in Wales?" Ron asked. "Harry's great aunt that is?"

"No," Ginny said quickly, looking annoyed at Ron's interruption. "Tonks said she passed away before Harry came to Hogwarts. However, apparently the entire Potter legacy is in Wales and that is where Harry's parents are buried."

The air lingered heavily in the air as Ginny turned to face Harry before continuing. "I'm sorry, Harry."

Harry nodded quickly. "So, where in Wales is it?"

"Tonks wouldn't tell me," Ginny admitted. "It was difficult enough getting anything out of her at all."

"That doesn't help us does it?" Ron retorted.

"If you'd let me finish," Ginny snapped. "I asked Hermione if she knew of any wizarding settlements that could have been derived from the surname Purter. I thought it was a rather odd name and Tonks said Old Miss Potter insisted on being addressed by her full name. I reasoned that if Harry's family was pureblood there must be some family record of them. I took my hunch and started researching. "

Harry frowned and glanced at Hermione.

"I didn't know what she was on about, honest," Hermione said quickly.

"If you trace back family history of the name Purter, which I did," Ginny started, "you'll learn that the there was once a Lord named Patton Purter. The earliest magical record I could find said he lived around 1210 in Wales. He was the Lord of Bimdwell, where Bimdwell was a patch of land granted to him by the Welsh king. 'Muggle Marrying' back then was a crime punishable by death in the wizarding world and his son George Purter changed the spelling of his name to Porter to escape the magical shame of his name when he went to Hogwarts. Patton apparently married a Muggle of importance after his first wife died, but there were no records of who she was. Lord Purter's Muggle wife murdered him sometime while George was away at Hogwarts, so George inherited his land and titles. George avenged his father's murder and executed his Muggle stepmother, placed a Disillusionment Charm on the entire village and banished all Muggles.

"Where did you find this stuff?" Ron asked a bit skeptically.

Ginny grinned. "You overlooked the library here at Grimmauld Place too quickly. I knew that the Blacks would have a book of records of all pureblood magical families since they're all related in one way or another, and I was right. In Wales, there is a small magical community called Porter Glen I can't find the connection yet, but I'm almost positive that is where we'll find Harry's great aunt's place."

Ron snorted, "Porter Glen? Harry's last name is Potter."

"There is another name change obviously, but it's the best hunch we've got," Hermione argued.

"And you have a plan on getting past Mrs. Weasley?" Harry asked.

Ginny grinned and looked at Hermione. "Sort of, but it isn't going to be easy."

"Fred and George are closing their shop," Hermione started.

"They've got loads of merchandise that is going to have to be moved and stored someplace, which is most likely going to cause tons of distraction," Ginny continued. "They're going to ask Harry if he would mind allowing them to store some of their jokes here."

Ron's face twisted. "They're in on it?"

Ginny nodded. "I'm threatening to blackmail them if they don't cooperate."

"With what?" Ron demanded, but Ginny ignored the question.

Harry couldn't help but grin as he watched Ginny with an admiration that shouldn't have been there. She had been the one who had helped him talk to Sirius during his fifth year and now she was the one who was helping him discover his past. Apparently, it was a perk to be the little sister of Fred and George Weasley.

"With all the Apparation and Disapparation that will be taking place we'll have the perfect opportunity to pop out of here," Ginny finished.

Hermione nodded. "We'll Disapparate into Muggle London where we should be able to disappear. With all the anti-magic tracers that have been set up as a precaution to protect wizards going underground, we should be able to blend in long enough to catch a train to Wales."

"It's safer than Apparating and doesn't leave a magical trail behind. By the time they realize we're gone it will be too late," Ginny finished.

Ron shook his head. "I can't believe Fred and George are going to let you do this!"

"There is a small catch," Ginny grimaced. "They're meeting up with us before we head to Wales. They're frustrated that the Order won't let them do anything because they're still considered junior members."

Harry frowned, feeling a sense of trepidation course through him. Dumbledore had never intended on endangering so many lives on this quest and Harry couldn't help but fear that the scene he had witnessed when Mrs. Weasley encountered the Boggart a few years before could come true.

"Harry!"

Harry's head jerked up as the twins approached him with broad grins stretched across their faces.

"We have a favor to ask of you, mate," Fred began.

Harry quickly agreed to the twins favor and the day the twins officially closed down the shop, Charlie, Bill, Lupin and Mr. Weasley helped them move their important merchandise into the attic at Grimmauld Place.

Mrs. Weasley frantically worked to make sure all the boxes fit into the designated area and left Ginny, Hermione, Ron and Harry alone downstairs. It was the opportunity they needed to execute their plan. Ginny peered up the stairs and nodded.

"It's clear. Is anybody in the kitchen?"

Ron poked his head in through the kitchen door and gave a thumbs-up.

"It's now or never," Hermione said quickly, as she reached for Ginny's hand. "Remember, right outside Paddington."

Because Harry and Ginny were still not of age it was too dangerous for them to Disapparate alone. The Ministry might be watching and they couldn't afford to have themselves traced.

Ron grabbed Harry's arm and muttered under his breath, "Destination, determination, and deliberation."

Harry forced his eyes shut tightly and prayed that Ron didn't splinch them. Ron still hadn't officially passed is Apparation test. When he reopened his eyes, he saw a welcome sight. They had Disapparated into an alley outside Paddington Station in London.

"Let's find Hermione and Ginny," Ron said confidently. Harry could tell he was pleased he had succeeded in conducting a Side-Along Apparaition, but they didn't have time for compliments.

The crowded streets of London were difficult to push through, but they soon found themselves outside the main entrance.

"Where are they?" Ron muttered.

Harry propped up on his toes and pointed. "There."

Hermione and Ginny raced towards them quickly with relieved expressions on their faces. Hermione made a quick motion to scan the crowd.

"We best hurry. Mum will have noticed we're gone soon," Ginny warned as the four disappeared inside.

Hermione had asked Bill to exchange some of her Wizarding currency for Muggle currency since she had spent all of her Muggle money. Because Hermione was a Muggle-born, Bill didn't ask too many questions. Hermione purchased the train tickets and as quickly as they could they boarded the train.

It seemed an eternity had passed before the train finally pulled out of the station. As the train platform disappeared in the window Harry breathed a sigh of relief.

"How much time do you think we have got?" Ron asked.

Ginny laughed nervously. "I'm sure Mum has noticed we're missing. She's probably combing over the place right now. We probably have about fifteen more minutes before she discovers the note we left her."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight: Tilly's Tale**

The excitement from the escape had left Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny with a sense of exhaustion. There was nothing left for the four to do but wait for the train to arrive at its destination. As it trudged along the tracks, Harry felt himself slipping into a comfortable lull. His chin tucked into his chest and his arms wrapped themselves snuggly around his torso.

Ginny sat across from him looking out the window with a far-off expression, Ron was at his right snoring softly with his head bowed low, and Hermione was across from Ron with her nose in a book. Ginny had reminded everybody that they would be meeting Fred and George when they arrived at Newport if all went well. The twins would likely have a blow-by-blow description of Mrs. Weasley's reaction to finding the note the four had left for her.

As Harry's gaze rested on Ginny staring out the window, his eyelids grew heavy. He felt the gentle motion of the train sway him, and with a deep sigh, he gave way to his exhaustion.

The room suddenly filled with a pale fog and Harry felt a gentle pressure on his right side. Ginny grasped his hand and passed him a worried look. "Follow me, Harry."

Her voice was hollow and distant. Harry glanced at their interlocking hands and then he turned around. His breath caught in his throat as the blank face of Albus Dumbledore stared up at him from the ground. Ginny continued tugging on his hand, urging him away, but he couldn't move.

Dumbledore's lifeless eyes blinked and Harry stumbled slightly as a tingle of fear ran through him like a bolt of electricity.

'Horcrux,' Dumbledore mouthed.

"Horcrux," Harry repeated.

The air began to swirl as forks of green lightning scattered across the sky, illuminating a hazy skull and protruding serpent. Chills rose on Harry's neck as low rumbles of thunder pierced the fog. In the distance, he could hear screams.

"Harry," Ginny repeated still watching him with her worried expression and vacant voice.

It was a place Harry had never seen, but he had heard those screams before. The horizon burned with flames and the air seemed damp with remorse. The sky gave another heinous rumble.

"Harry."

Harry turned back towards Ginny, who was staring at him with an anxious face. Her hand found his shoulder and he felt a jerk snap through him.

"Harry, wake up."

His eyes snapped open and saw Ginny staring down at him with an inquiring expression.

Hermione looked up apprehensively, and then ducked back behind her book. She drew in a quick breath and muttered, "You were talking in your sleep again."

"Shouting is a better description," Ginny corrected, as Ron grunted loudly before settling back into a regular snore. "You were drawing attention."

"Sorry," Harry said quickly before turning to look out the window. The screams from his recent dream rang in his ear as he concentrated on calming his racing heart.

Ginny frowned. "What's a Horcrux?"

"What?" Harry responded instantly to Ginny question.

"A Horcrux?" Ginny repeated. "You yelled out the word Horcrux."

Hermione shifted uncomfortably in her seat, which caused Ginny to look at her.

"It's nothing," Harry finally answered.

Ginny sighed. "It didn't sound like nothing."

The train arrived at Newport Station on time and Harry half expected a group of Order members to be waiting for them on the platform. Luck was on their side, though, and it appeared the Order had not yet found them. They studied the crowd with apprehension until Ron pointed.

"There they are."

Fred and George were incognito. They both had on long black trench coats and mysterious-looking fedoras with purple feathers. George made a sharp motion to Ron's comment as the twins quickly approached.

"Mind your mouth; you're going to blow our cover," Fred hissed.

George pulled a pair of dark sunglasses off his nose and tucked them into his coat pocket. "Mum is livid. Don't think we've ever seen her so wound up."

"But I think you guys made a clean getaway," Fred added. "As soon as they discovered you four had split Lupin and Tonks traced your Apparation. Hermione's charm did the trick."

"Hermione's charm?" Ron asked.

Hermione grinned. "I placed a Trace Scrambler Charm on our Disapparation path. I made it appear as if we had Apparated to Kings Cross."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Ron asked.

Hermione blushed. "Well, I sort of decided to do it at the last minute."

"Lupin is a smart bloke; he wasn't put off too long," Fred said quickly, as he tossed the four a couple of Invisibility Cloaks.

"You best put those on," George instructed.

Harry snatched one of the cloaks Fred had tossed out of the air. "I asked Lupin about Wales."

"Right you are," George nodded. "While some of the Order members combed all the possibilities of Kings Cross, Lupin made mention that you were looking for information about Wales."

"Then Tonks said she had mentioned to Ginny that Harry's great aunt once lived there," Fred finished.

Hermione gasped. "So we're caught?"

Fred winked. "Not exactly—apparently Harry is the only one who can find his aunt's place. It has something do to with some charm of Dumbledore's. Lupin is trying to figure it out so we volunteered to patrol the platform at Newport in case you lot tried to take a Muggle train."

"Which is why you four need to put on those cloaks," George added.

"So how are we going to get to Porter Glenn?" Ron asked.

Fred grinned. "Glad you asked that, ickle Ronnie."

"We made a Portkey," George explained. "Though it isn't exactly legal."

"Won't the Ministry be able to track that?" Hermione inquired.

Fred winked at George. "Don't worry about that, Hermione. The Portus Spell isn't the only way to make a Portkey."

"Besides, Belinda in the Portkey Office fancies Fred," George laughed.

"That she does," Fred cheeked before turning mock serious. "Come on, stop dawdling and put those cloaks on."

George chuckled as Ron tossed one of the cloaks over himself and Harry. "I think there might be more room if you pair up with Hermione, Ron. She's a bit smaller than Harry."

Hermione stole a glimpse at Harry, realizing the awkwardness of the situation. "George is right," she said quickly before throwing the cloak she was holding over Harry's head.

Harry suddenly felt a surge of gratitude towards Hermione. He wasn't sure he could handle being under an Invisibility Cloak with Ginny, and from the scarlet creeping into Ginny's cheeks, he didn't think she was ready to be in that situation either.

Ginny moved underneath the other cloak with Ron and Fred held out a shabby-looking pocket watch. The group extended their hands and in the same moment they all touched the watch.

Harry felt the familiar tugging from behind his navel. It was a sensation he now associated with unpleasant memories and death. With a thud, they arrived in their predestined location. George dusted off his trench coat and Fred tucked the watch back into his pocket.

"Porter Glenn," George announced in a whisper.

"This is Porter Glenn?" Ron asked as he tossed the Invisibility Cloak off Ginny and himself.

"Keep that on," Fred snapped. "You're going to get us caught."

Porter Glenn was no larger than the Quidditch Pitch at Hogwarts. The trees were covered in vines, and the air smelt of a dusky dank swamp. There was a solid row of small houses that reminded Harry of the Gaunt's. At the end, there was a larger home, but it was just as unkempt as the others. Harry guided Hermione down the road towards the larger home and called for the rest of the group to follow. The shutters hung loosely on their hinges, and as Harry took a step onto the porch and ducked from under the Invisibility Cloak, he noticed a few splintered boards.

"What are you looking at?" Ginny asked slowly, as Harry scanned the damage.

Harry turned back around. "Don't you see it?"  
"See what?" Ron inquired. "All I see is an overgrown field."

"The house," Harry explained. "I'm standing on the porch now."

Ron suddenly stumbled backwards as if he had been smacked across the face with a Beater's bat and Hermione gave an audible gasp.

"Blimey," Fred cried out. "How did you do that?"  
"Remember what you told us Lupin said? Only Harry could find the house. It must be part of the charm Dumbledore used," Hermione deduced.

Harry blinked in disbelief before reaching out and grabbing the door handle.

"Shouldn't you knock?" Hermione interjected.

Harry paused for a second. "Nobody lives here anymore."

The door squeaked open and revealed a large, open room that resembled a library more than a house. Harry had expected the inside to look as rumpled as the outside, but to his surprise, it was immaculate. The floor had such a shine that he could see his reflection.

"Are you sure nobody lives here?" Ron asked, as he followed Harry inside the house.

Just as the words left Ron, there was a shattering sound of glasses crashing against the floor. Harry looked up instantly and standing at the base of the stairs was the smallest house-elf he had ever seen.

"Master James?" the tiny elf squeaked.

Harry looked at Hermione as if he was hoping she'd have an answer, but before she could respond, the small elf threw itself around Harry's legs.

"Mistress said that you be dead, but I told her that you'd be coming back," the elf continued, as large tears rolled down her cheeks. "Master James, why did you stay away so long?"  
"Harry stumbled, as he attempted to shake the creature off.

"He's not James Potter," Ron said in amusement, as Hermione passed him an irritated look.

The tiny elf looked up at Ron with her big blue eyes, then back up at Harry.

"Not James Potter? Baby Harry?" the elf asked. "Can it be? Is Tilly seeing her Baby Harry again?"

The elf let out another large wail and wrapped even tighter around Harry's legs.

"Are you the Potter's house-elf?" Ginny asked, as she tried to pry the elf's fingers out of their grip.

"Oh," the elf sobbed. "The Potter's house-elf."  
"This is bloody ridiculous," Ron said under his breath as Tilly continued bouncing.

Fred grinned at Ron. "No, your haircut is bloody ridiculous. This is rather funny."

"Tilly will get Master Harry…" she started before breaking down into a loud sob and clutched on even tighter.

"Tilly, does anybody else live here with you?" Hermione asked, as she jumped in front of Ginny and touched the tiny elf on the shoulder.

The house-elf slowly released Harry's legs and looked up at Hermione. "You called Tilly by her given name. Nobody has called Tilly by her given name since the Mistress passed."

Hermione nearly fell over as the elf latched itself onto her legs and let out another deafening sob.

"Tilly is sorry. She is just so happy to see her family again," Tilly said with a loud wail.

She looked up at Harry again from her position on Hermione's legs, and then gave a watery smile.

"Master Harry has Miss Lily's eyes. Tilly always liked Miss Lily," Tilly screeched. "But the Mistress says Miss Lily is dead too. They all left Tilly alone. Tilly is a good house-elf. She keeps the house clean so when her family comes back they'd stay."

"So what exactly are we looking for?" George asked Harry, as Ron pried the house-elf off Hermione's legs.

Harry didn't answer but walked towards the back of the house and peered out the window. Tucked in the corner of the yard was a small cemetery. Harry felt a lump form in his throat at the sight of the gravestones. He felt the hot sting of tears building behind his eyes as he fought to keep himself together.

Suddenly, Harry felt a soft hand on his arm, and he looked down to see Ginny staring up at him with a worried look.

"Is that?" Ginny asked.

Harry simply nodded.

"Do you want me to come with you?"

The question caught Harry a bit off-guard. He knew he should say no and do it alone, but at the same time, he knew he couldn't do it without her. In a selfish moment of weakness, he nodded his head.

Ginny slowly led him to the back door, threw the Invisibility Cloak over their heads, and glanced back at the rest of the group who were now trying to calm the wailing house-elf.

"We'll be right back," Ginny said quickly.

"Master Harry is leaving?" Tilly cried.

Hermione patted the house-elf softly on the back. "No, Tilly. Harry will right back."

Ginny took Harry by the hand and led him through the back door and across the garden. There was an aging cast iron fence surrounding the overgrown cemetery. A couple of the gravestones were cracked and crumbling, but not all of them. In the far corner there was a stone that was solid white and looked the least aged.

Harry felt his knees buckle and he collapsed. Ginny knelt by his side as she gave his hand a comforting squeeze.  
Here Lie James and Lily Potter  
Loving Parents and Faithful Lovers  
May They Rest In Peace  
Died: October 31st 1981

Harry let his fingers trace the engravings. He had always known his parents were dead, but for some reason this was the proof he had always been denied. Harry felt tears begin to sting his eyes and on instinct, Ginny pulled him into a hug so he could cry into her shoulder.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed, but finally the tears subsided and he made a motion to stand. Ginny rose with him and made another reach for his hand. She passed him a glance and Harry knew it to mean that she was making sure that he was all right.

"Thanks," Harry said in barely more than a murmur, as he wiped his eyes on the back of his sleeve.

Ginny smiled. "Don't mention it."

"I don't now what I thought I'd find here. I just thought…" Harry started.

"For someone to know where they're going, they first need to know where they've been," Ginny said softly before brushing a strand of hair with her hand, a hair from Harry's cheek  
Harry felt a chill rise on the back of his neck at Ginny's touch. He hastily took a step back, but he didn't release her hand.

"The others are going to wonder where we've been," Harry said in a tightened voice.

Ginny nodded, though it was apparent Harry's reaction had not been the one she had expected. She pulled her hand out of his grasp and the two walked silently back towards the big house.

George gave them an odd look when they walked through the door and Fred frowned. Harry was quite positive he had never seen either of the twins frown, with the exception of the time that Mr. Weasley had been attacked while patrolling the Department of Mysteries.

Ginny shook her head as Ron started to ask a question when they reached the main room; Hermione leaned up and said something into Ron's ear that made him turn a bit pink. Instead of asking a question, he picked up a crumpet and took a large bite.

"Your house-elf is an excellent cook," Ron said as he swallowed.

Harry cleared his throat. "Where is…err, Tilly?"

"She's in the kitchen cooking more food," Ron grinned. "It was the only way to calm her down."

Hermione rolled her eyes and flashed Ron an icy look before turning her attention back to Harry.

"You are going to free her, aren't you?" Hermione asked.

"Of course he isn't. It would kill her. Not all house-elves want to be free," Ron exclaimed.

Hermione reared up and Harry could have sworn her hair became bushier.

"I can't set her free," Harry said before she could respond to Ron's point.

"Don't you remember what happened to Winky? Do you want Harry's house-elf to become a Butterbeer addict?" Ron argued.

"Well, he can't leave her here," Hermione retorted.

Ron seemed to contemplate the thought. "We could bring her back with us. I'm sure Mum wouldn't mind the extra help."

Fred's frown faded slightly. "I'm sure you wouldn't mind the crumpets."

"Sorry to break up the party, but what are we looking for here?" George asked.

Harry sighed. "I don't really know. Something told me I had to come here."

"Oh, Tilly has not seen Master Harry since he was a wee baby," Tilly continued, as she reappeared from the kitchen with a large tray of biscuits and tea. The tray was so large Harry had a time convincing himself that the scene he was watching was even possible.

"The big hairy man brought baby Harry to see the Mistress and Tilly."  
"Hagrid," Hermione affirmed.

Tilly nodded as a few more tears ran down her cheeks. "He tells us that he is taking baby Harry to his Aunt Petunia. Tilly never liked Petunia."

Harry did a double-take. "You knew Petunia?"

"Yes, Tilly knew Petunia Evans… awful witch. She is jealous of Miss Lily," Tilly continued.

"Witch?" Harry asked, looking dumbstruck.

Tilly nodded. "Tilly hears she is a Muggle now."

"What else did Hagrid tell you?" Harry asked.

"Hagrid tells Tilly nothing," Tilly smiled. "He tells Tilly's Mistress to keep a box safe."

"A box?" Hermione asked.

"The letter box," Tilly exclaimed. "Dumbledore gave her a letter."

"What did the letter say?" Harry pushed.

"Tilly is a good house-elf. She dare not read her Mistress's private letter," Tilly frowned.

"Where is the letter now?" Hermione changed course.

Tilly blinked. "In the box."

Ron complained, "This is going nowhere."

"Would Master Harry like the Mistress's box?" Tilly asked, as she turned to Harry.

Harry suddenly felt a pair of eyes burning through him and he turned to see Fred giving him a dreadful look.

"Yes, Harry would like to see the box," Ron answered, but it didn't satisfy the house-elf.

Harry suddenly shook off Fred's look and turned back towards Tilly.

"Where is the box?"

Tilly shrilled loudly as she suddenly disappeared from sight. She reappeared a moment later and dropped an ancient-looking box into Harry's lap.

"Thanks, Tilly."

Harry examined the box carefully, then clicked open the latch. Hermione and Ginny both leaned in closer to get a better look as Harry opened the lid. He removed a yellow slip of parchment.

The Dursleys

"What does that mean?" Ron asked.

Harry glanced back down into the box and removed a medallion covered with a thin film of dust. Hermione took an audible breath as Harry held it between his fingers.

"That looks like the one we found at Godric's Hollow," Ron voiced.

"Identical," Harry whispered before pulling the medallion they had found at Godric's Hollow out of his pocket.

Ginny's face creased with confusion as Fred and George watched with interest. Harry jumped to his feet as if a sudden light had come on.

"Where are you going?" Ginny demanded.

Harry turned to look at his group of friends. He knew where he had to go and he also knew he had to go alone.

"There is someplace I've got to go," Harry said quickly. "I'm going alone."

Hermione was the first to object. "No you're not. We've been through this, Harry."

"Hermione, I've got to do this alone."

Ginny glanced at Hermione and then Harry. "Then we'll follow in the shadows. Just in case you need us."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine: Unknown Unexpected **

The swings danced in the wind as Harry passed the park near Magnolia Crescent. It was a late hour, and anybody who was of good intentions would surely be tucked away in bed. Sleep was a privilege only allowed to the innocent.

The moon burned brightly in the sky and lit Harry's way. Discretion wasn't something that was a concern since he had no Put Outer to darken his approach. If a neighbor had glanced at the window, they might have let out a scream. Everybody knew Harry had attended St. Brutus's Secure Center for Incurably Criminal Boys.

Harry's hand grazed his pocket as if he needed proof that his wand was still tucked inside. He had made the others promise not to interfere with what he had to do. They could follow, but they could not be seen.

Harry slowly approached Number Four Privet Drive, unsure what he would actually say or do. All he knew is that the answers were there. The letter Tilly, the House Elf, had shown him had led him to this location, but there was something far more valuable in small house.

The Dursleys would most likely be asleep, and he knew that they didn't like to be disturbed by wizards in the middle of the night. Without a beat of hesitation, Harry rang the doorbell. The ring sounded throughout the house piercing the still of the evening.

Harry took a step back and glanced up at the windows. Dudley was home by now, but he could sleep through being plowed over by a freight train. It was his Aunt's and Uncle's window he watched. Several minutes passed, but no light came on.

Harry rang the doorbell again but nothing. The blood rushing past his eardrums was the only sound that he heard. Against reason, he reached out and tried the doorknob, and to his great surprise it was unlocked.  
The Durlsey's never left their door unlocked. Some miscreant might decide to rob their house or worse, Harry might come back. With a single motion, he pushed the door completely open and revealed Petunia's pristine living room.

Nothing looked out of place, but something felt off. Harry took once glance back outside to make certain that he did spy Uncle Vernon's car. It sat in the drive, shimmering under the bright moon.

Experience had taught him to leave the door open behind him as he entered. The room was silent except for a small ticking coming from the clock on the mantel. Harry subconsciously reached for his wand and drew it out of his pocket. He resisted the urge to call out as he looked nervously up the stairs towards the bedroom.

He kept expecting to hear the words _'Mors Mordre'_ called out to summon the Dark Mark. With a beat of indecision, he made his way past his cupboard and into the kitchen.

_"Lumos,"_ Harry whispered, as the tip of this wand suddenly lit. Ordinarily, he would have been concerned about using magic and being underage, but he had already decided he wasn't returning to school. Besides, the Ministry had other worries these days besides underage wizards and witches using magic outside of Hogwarts.

Like the living room, everything in the kitchen was in sorts. It suddenly occurred to him that perhaps his Aunt and Uncle were upstairs sleeping and had merely forgotten to lock the door. While it seemed outlandish to even consider such a possibility, he had seen stranger things in his lifetime.

He now found himself in a dilemma. He could venture upstairs and wake his Aunt and Uncle, but he sincerely doubted they'd be to keen on talking after being awaken at wand point. The other option was to go back outside and ring the door bell until somebody woke up, assuming anybody was even there to wake up at all.

After a minute of deliberation passed, Harry followed the stairs. Again, nothing looked disturbed and the house almost gave off a sense of safety. The first door was Harry's former bedroom, now Dudley's second bedroom again. Harry reached out to open the door, but ironically it was locked.

He proceeded down the hallway and reached Dudley's room. He knew if he opened the door and Dudley was flat on his fat back snoring, then everything was fine, and the unlocked door and odd feelings was just a fluke. However, if Dudley wasn't there…

As slowly as humanly possible, Harry pushed open the door and peered in. At first his ears focused on listening for Dudley's loud snores. When he didn't hear any snores, his eyes focused on Dudley's bed in hopes to find his cousin waddling in his sheets, but the moon blazing through the wind revealed that Dudley was nowhere to be found.

Harry felt his breath catch in his throat as a rasping sound seemed to emanate through the walls. It was then he noticed the thick fog gathering outside the windows and a putrid stench of death.

His grasp on his wand grew tighter as he pushed the door completely open, as if he needed a clear picture for verification of his worst fears. There was no time to waste he raced into Dudley's empty room and threw open the window.

_"Expecto Patronum." _

A wispy stag erupted from his wand and seemed to canter in midair. Harry knew that Patronuses were used by the Order to communicate, but he wasn't sure exactly how it worked.

"I need backup," Harry told the cloud like stag, as he pointed. "Over there."

His Patronus simply stood there, and it dawned on Harry how it couldn't possibly be that easy. Then in one dramatic moment, the stag raced off in the direction he had pointed. As the bright light of the Patronus dimmed, Harry made his way back into the hallway.

_"There wasn't a Dark Mark-- they're not dead,"_ Harry said quietly to himself.

He knew that Dementors didn't leave Dark Marks, but he didn't want to remind himself of that thought.

Although he loathed the Dursleys, he didn't want them to have their souls sucked out. Then another thought crossed Harry's mind. What if the Death Eaters were waiting for him? What if he was walking into a trap?

Harry stopped outside his Aunt's and Uncle's door. He could hear a faint whimpering sound from the  
opposite side, and he felt his heart beat faster and faster within his chest. With one quick motion he raised his wand and blasted open the door.

The whimpering exploded into a full blown cry as Dudley pushed himself further into a corner with his knees drawn into his chest. His eyes grew round as they rested on Harry and he looked as if he were attempting and failing to speak.

Uncle Vernon was sprawled in an unnatural position on the floor. His eyes were wide opened and as white as egg shells. Harry immediately scanned the room.

"Where are they?" Harry snapped towards Dudley.

Dudley could only whimper in response.

Harry felt a sense of sickness sweep him as he fought back the urge to heave up the remains of the meal Tilly had fed him. He slowly knelt down and touched his Uncle's massive neck in search for a pulse.

"He's still alive," Harry said aloud, though more to himself than Dudley.

Harry stood and peered out the window and through the thick fog. It didn't look like a Dementor's Kiss but Spell Damage of some sort instead. However, the thick fog and foul smell still roaming in the air told Harry that the Dementors weren't far. Perhaps that is why Uncle Vernon and Dudley had been left alive.

"Where's Aunt Petunia?" Harry spat at Dudley. "Snap out of it!"

"Harry."

Harry spun around to see Ron and Ginny standing in the door way, both looking winded.

"He's up here," Ginny bellowed, and Harry heard more footsteps rummaging up the stairs.

Ron stared thunderstruck at Vernon Dudley then glanced at Harry's cousin. "What did you do to them?"

Harry reared. "Nothing, it wasn't me. I found them like this."

Hermione let out a loud gasp, and she and the twins made their way into the room. Harry and Ron tried to pull Dudley to his feet as George examined Vernon Dursley.

"I've never seen anybody in this state. Looks like it was a nasty spell whatever it was," George said quickly.

Harry's eyes studied the fog outside and wondered when the Dementors would arrive. "Have you contacted the Order yet?"

Fred nodded. "I sent a message the minute we got your Patronus."

If Vernon and Dudley had been left for the Dementors, they never showed. The Order arrived in dramatic fashion, but there wasn't much left to be done. No Dark Mark danced across the sky, in fact there wasn't any evidence to suggestion it had even been a Death Eater attack. The Spell Damage to Vernon Dursley was severe and he was taken to St. Mungo.

"I should hex you into next week," Charlie barked. "What were you all thinking?"

Ginny stood defiant, but Ron actually looked slightly guilty.

"We're not kids anymore," Ginny retorted.

Charlie sighed. "Yes—yes, you are kids. You could have been kidnapped or killed. Mum is beside herself with worry. I don't know what would have happened if Fred and George hadn't have found you."

Fred and George were free of any suspicion. The story was that Fred and George had found them all at Privet Drive on a hunch. They all knew it was foolish to burn their only willing connection inside the Order of the Phoenix. Remus Lupin was the only one who didn't look fooled. He studied the twins questionably as Charlie continued his lecture and passed Harry a look that indicated he wanted to chat later.

"Ron, you're of age, but what were you thinking taking Ginny with you?" Charlie continued.

"I'm not that much younger than Ron," Ginny reminded him. "If everybody would stop treating us like children…"

"Charlie, I think we should send them back to Headquarters," Lupin said patiently. "Harry shouldn't be here when the Ministry arrives. It will just cause unwanted questions." His voice emphasized his last word, and his lip curled into a suspicious grin.

Muggle attacks were becoming more common, and the Ministry wouldn't find it at all surprising that Harry's Muggle relatives had been attacked, but they might find it curious that Harry was the one to discover them. The more puzzling problem was, after a complete search of the area, there was no sign of Petunia Dursley.

Lupin assured Harry everything possible would be done to find his Aunt and not to worry. For his part, Harry found it ironic that for the first time in his life, he wanted to speak to his aunt, and he couldn't.

They all returned back to Grimmauld Place before the Ministry's Aurors arrived to process the scene. Harry suspected that Rufus Scrimgeour would have loved another opportunity to question him and was thankful to avoid that potential situation.

Charlie's reprimand turned out to be much more pleasant than Molly Weasely's. Mrs. Weasley had merely given them all one glance when they arrived back at Headquarters and then turned her back on them with a heavy sob. Harry would have rather spent a night in the Dungeons of Hogwarts with Filch's thumbscrews.

None of them felt very hungry despite the fact they hadn't had much to eat since earlier that day. Instead, they trudged up the stairs and into bed. As the hours ticked by, Harry found that he couldn't sleep. The nightmare he had experienced on the train played over and over in his mind, and he wondered if he'd ever slumber again.

"I think we should start looking for the Horcruxes," said Hermione at breakfast the next morning.

Harry blinked at her. Sometimes he had to wonder if perhaps Professor Trelawney was wrong about Hermione. She seemed to quite in touch with her Inner Eye.

Ron frowned. "But we don't even know where to start. It wasn't like Dumbledore left us a map or anything to follow."

Ron was wrong. Dumbledore had left a map of clues for Harry to follow. He knew many things about Voldemort. For one he had some idea of what the other Horcruxes would be. He also knew that Voldemort liked to place them in places that were significant in his past. For the first time in weeks,  
Harry's mind suddenly thought of the locket.

**R.A.B.**

"Harry?" Hermione asked. "What do you think?"

"About what?" Harry responded.

Hermione frowned and rolled her eyes. "I for one hope they reopen Hogwarts. That would be the most logical place to continue the search for Horcruxes. Perhaps you could persuade Professor McGonagall to let you look back in…" She seemed to consider her words carefully. "The Pensieve."

"There isn't anything left at Hogwarts to find. The answers aren't there this time, Hermione," Harry said heavily.

"You know what we have to find," Ron said suddenly. "We have to find that orphanage that raised You Know Who."

Harry shook his head. "He wouldn't hide anything there. We aren't looking for places of Voldemort's past; we're looking for places that he would consider significant. Places where he would have commit his crimes or achievements."

"That really narrows it down," Ron grumbled.

Hermione sighed. "Like Hogwarts."

Harry was about to retort when suddenly he stopped. "Dumbledore was wrong. He wasn't searching for something that belonged to the founders. Voldemort wanted to teach at Hogwarts, so he could stash one of his Horcruxes there undetected. Perhaps in the Chamber of Secrets itself."

"You mean…" Ron started.

"No," Harry interrupted. "I don't think he ever got the chance, and we all know that Ginny was the first one to open the Chamber since Riddle."

Ron scrunched his face and let out a loud frustrated sound.

"You said Dumbledore said that he thought that the Horcruxes were possibly something of Gryffendor's and Ravenclaw's?" Hermione recapped.

"But Dumbledore was pretty sure that the sword I pulled out of the Sorting Hat was the only relic of Gryffendor's left," Harry added. "Remember, two of them have already been destroyed.."

Harry voice suddenly caught in his throat as the memory of Dumbledore's last fool hearted quest flooded him. There was still the problem in finding Slytherin's Locket and Hufflepuff's Cup. He knew one of the Horcruxes was Nagini, which left one Horcrux unaccounted for.

"Did Dumbledore show you or mention any other ideas of where Voldemort would have hidden a Horcrux?" Hermione asked in almost a casual voice.  
Harry frowned. "I've already told you, no. It has to be someplace he considers important."

"Which brings us back to having no ideas what so ever," Ron said sarcastically.

"Like Borgin & Burkes," Harry said almost to himself.

Hermione tutted. "We're going about this the wrong way. We need to learn how a Horcrux is made first."

"Why?" Ron asked looking aghast.

"Because it might tell us something about how to find them," Hermione said quickly.

Harry shook himself slightly. "Dumbledore told me that he thought Voldemort was going to use my murder for a Horcrux. What if that medallion we found at Godric's Hollow was the trinket he was planning on using?"

"I don't think so, Harry," Hermione confessed.

"Why not?" Harry questioned.

"Well, because he would have come back for it. You said that Kingsley said that there were no noticeable Dark Magical traces. He would have realized that the Ministry would not have found it and when he regained his body he would have either retrieved it himself or sent somebody else. I think the medallion was placed there afterwards."

"But he could have thought that the Ministry had found it," Ron pointed out.

"If the medallion was really important enough to use as a Horcux, Voldemort would have returned to retrieve it," Hermione insisted. "Plus, why would there be two of them? Surely, Voldemort would have used something that wasn't paired."

"Why not? It would have made it more difficult for somebody who knew about them to find," Ron countered.

"Remember what Dumbledore told you, Harry? It would have to be something he would consider exceptional and most likely one of a kind," Hermione continued, ignoring Ron.

"Voldemort didn't think anybody could discover his Horcrux ambition," Harry said quietly. He remembered the boat that he and Dumbledore had used to cross the lake of Inferius. As much as he didn't want to admit it, Hermione was probably right.

Hermione sighed. "We need to discover how a Horcrux is made before we try to figure out where they might be hidden."

"Can't we just order a book from Flourish & Blott's?" Ron asked.

Hermione let out an annoyed sound. "Horcruxes are a forbidden subject. There are some forms of Magic that aren't even acknowledged. I seriously doubt there are any books on Horcruxes at Flourish & Blott's, and even if there were, it would raise too many eyebrows to order one."

"I've been wondering. Do you think it is a potion?" Harry asked, as he watched for Hermione's reaction.

Hermione scrunched her nose. "It's possible, but it could just be coincidence that he approached Slughorn on the subject."

"Hey, why don't you just ask Slughorn, Harry?" Ron interjected.

Harry refrained from laughing out loud. "Even if he knew, he wouldn't tell me. I don't even think another dose of Felix Felicis would get that job done."

"There is one person who might know," Hermione said slowly.

"Who?" Ron and Harry asked at the same time.

"Lupin," Hermione revealed.

"Lupin is experienced at Potions. He told me so back in third year," Harry argued.

Hermione shook her head. "We don't know for certain that it's a potion. We do know that it's Dark Magic, and Lupin knows more about Dark Magic than anybody else we know."


End file.
